


Friendship is Hunted

by Newenglandee



Series: Friendship is Hunted [1]
Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Aliens, Cock Vore, Multi, Unbirth, Vore, alien - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-03-09 06:00:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 24,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3238964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Newenglandee/pseuds/Newenglandee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Cosmo Sapien Race, the "Hunting Party"...a race of living galaxies that go from planet to planet finding beings to consume. If they find worthy challenges, the world is spared and taught whatever the planet desires from them. If unworthy, they are made meals...and now Equestria faces the last Cosmo Sapien. Can it be saved from a fate worse than death? Warning: contains very adult and/or vore elements that will be made clear in every chapter they're in. In addition, the story does not follow a linear track after chapter 3; the story is divided into "CYYA" esque sections with a different main protagonist in every chapter.</p>
<p>Don't be afraid to leave feedback, though. I'll never get any better without it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Huntsman from the Stars

The sun shone hot and heavy…the air humid, thick with tension. Three titans standing across from each other in sweltering, blistering heat. One held aloft a mixture of spear and staff, a mighty weapon that bristled with bright blue energy that hissed in the air like a cobra rising to full height. The other two stood side by side, heads held high, panting slightly at the horned figure before them.

“I’ve never, ever had more worthy challenges.” It told them. There was not an ounce of mockery in his words. He was sincere. Truthful. Almost…kindly. He sounded sad that the challenge had to end as he aimed the end of the staff at the two sisters, his piercing blue eyes gazing into theirs. “You’ve both been very, very worthy. True credits to your race.”

“We will not fall here to you.” The first intoned, her voice motherly, yet firm, and biting, the second nodding in agreement.

“Thou shalt be defeated, here and now.” She proclaimed, her voice booming, deep and intimidating like the roar of thunder in the middle of a story night.

Silence as the sun continued to beam down upon them, almost pushing them into the soft grass of the plains they stood upon. Enormous chunks of ground had been ripped apart by magic most powerful, or the immense energy blasts the hunter before the two sisters had sent their way. There would be a winner…one way or another.

Unless…

“…no…more.” He finally proclaimed, placing the end of the spear on the ground, shaking his head back and forth. “No more. You are too tired. I am too tired. This has never, ever happened. Not to my father. Not to grandfather. Certainly not to me.” He admitted. “A tie is almost unheard of for my race. But…it’s a tie all the same, and we have rules.”

He slammed his fist against his chest, giving them a bow of his head. “You earned my respect, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I will remember you. And I will return within a hundred years to see if you’ve progressed. I desire…closure…to this fight.”

“We will be ready and waiting. The Hunting Party will not succeed here.” Celestia informed him, shaking her head back and forth as she saw him…flinch? As if…offended, almost. “What?”

“There’s no “party”, Celestia. I’m not going back to my family.”

“Why not?” Luna wished to know as he wryly smiled.

“I’m all that is left.”

“…OH.” The two sisters said at once, glancing at each other as he turned around, sighing slightly, head bowed.

“Other races would have just attacked me on sight. I appreciate you let me establish the ground rules, even knowing what my species did. I assure you, I will remember your honorable behavior.”

“There are pains worse than that of the flesh. The pain of disregarding that which is closest to your soul is the worst of all.” Celestia insisted.

“We have our integrity to think about. Even knowing what your kind did to others, we couldn’t in good conscience just attack you unprovoked.” Luna added as she and Celestia walked towards him as he headed along the plains, a gentle wind beginning to blow at last, giving them some small reprieve as the black-bodied being inhaled deeply, enjoying the scent carried on the breeze. “Where willst thou go?”

“I may not have family to go back to…but it’s been far too long…and I want to go home.”

…

…

…

… “It’ll be good to finally be home.” Fluttershy insisted cheerily to Rainbow Dash and the others, looking over a small photograph of Angel and the other animals at her little home in Ponyville, sighing wistfully as she shook her head back and forth, her pink mane flopping about. “I know Spike promised to take good care of them, but I so dearly miss the dears.”

“I appreciate you all coming with me to see Princess Celestia.” Princess Twilight Sparkle admitted, bowing her head at her friends as she sat in a booth, wings folded at her sides as her unicorn horn sparked, a book of notes flying over to her indigo form as she turned the journal to what she needed, holding it up for the others to see. The sky-colored Rainbow Dash tilted her head slightly in confusion, her long rainbow-colored hair falling a little bit over her eyes.

“Is that a…minotaur?” She asked, pointing at the figure drawn in Twilight’s journal, Fluttershy shaking her head.

“Oh no, I’d recognize a minotaur. That’s definitely not a minotaur.” She murmured.

“Yeah, don’t minotaurs…y’know…got them hooves?” Applejack asked, the green-eyed pony scratching her head, pushing the large brown Stanton hat atop her head slightly up, chewing a little on her lip. “Kinda looks like he oughta be from TARTARUS. Real demon.”

“I must say, I ADORE the jewelry he has around his neck, though.” Rarity spoke up, her pale skin positively glowing in the light of the train compartment thanks to an excellent new shampoo she had, resting her head on one hoof as she sat in her plushy chair. “Such a lovely necklace. Bright blue is a lovely contrast to his dark, brooding body. And it brings out the color of his eyes.”

“Good thing that Celestia and Luna remembered so much about this guy.” The cheery, upbeat Pinkie Pie added with a wave of her hoof. “They said he’s a member of “The Hunting Party”?” She asked. “Doesn’t sound like MY kind of Party, though.” She muttered with a pout. “My parties don’t involve shooting people with anything but t-shirt cannons!”

“They’re supposedly…well…aliens.” Twilight admitted, the others all looking around at each other, confused at first, almost…frightened. But then again, they HAD fought hydras, Ursa Minors, a demonic centaur, the personification of Disharmony itself, a corruption spirit that had once driven Luna insane with jealousy, tackled beings that could change their appearance to imitate others, been to another dimension entirely. So… **aliens**?...not so farfetched. “The technical term is “Cosmo Sapien”. They live for the hunt. The challenge. And it’s been about one hundred years since he last came.”

“They’re certain he’ll be a-comin’ back soon? Like, this year?” Applejack asked, peeking out the nearby window of the train, the harsh, howling winds outside a stark contrast to the soft yellows and reds within as she shuddered just from LOOKING at the thick piles of snow being pelted down onto the plains. “Daaang. We gotta get ready, then. Get the Elements.”

“Just what I was thinking.” Twilight insisted with a firm nod. “One on one, I don’t think we could take him. However, if we worked together, well…we can move mountains!”

Or at least, that’s what she’d been ABOUT to say when a loud, horrific, crashing noise filled the air, everyone sent flying, Fluttershy tearing out the window. Jagged, icy pain digging into her skin, cackling, hissing, buzzing cries filling the air, screaming piercing through her ears as she struck the ground, bumped her head on a rock…

And remembered…

Nothing more.

…

…

…

…so cold…

It was so, so cold. Fluttershy shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself, whimpering slightly, making her way past obvious train wreckage, panting as her breath condensed before her. The wind was stabbing into her like knives all across her frail form as her pink mane fluttered back and forth and she cringed, trying to find any sign of her friends. What had…happened? The train must have suddenly hit something, or…

No. Wait. She could see…insectoid wings. Several all littered around along with dark black carapaces like-

Changelings. Changelings must have attacked the train. She shuddered in fear, cupping her hooves around her mouth. “TWILIGHT? DASH? APPLEJACK? RARITY? PINKIE?”

Nothing. Fluttershy grit her teeth, continuing to try and move along where the train tracks were. She had to keep moving, try and follow the tracks to Ponyville, with any luck, perhaps she’d get there before…

Before…

Soooo… _cold_ …

She flopped to her knees, shuddering again, wracked with agonizing pain as she tried to get up, but…she could barely move. She felt like she’d been dipped in a big block of ice, helpless to escape. Why? Why here, now? When her friends could have been in real dang-

“Are you cold?” A deep, dark, ethereal voice inquired, Fluttershy managing to raise her head to behold a titanic horned being that now stared down at her, muscular arms folded across a well-built chest, bright blue eyes blazing in the blizzard that raged around her. He knelt down slightly by her, Fluttershy slightly shivering at the sight of his rather large, sharp claws and…very, VERY sharp teeth. His body was as dark as the night sky, with what could only be described as faint, glimmering stars littered about within it, blinking slightly across his chest, his stomach, everywhere. He somehow sniffed her, despite lacking a nose, tilting his head to the side a little.

“…I…um…” Fluttershy squeaked out as the Cosmo Sapien chuckled a bit.

“Obvious question. I can smell how quickly you’re turning into a pony-sicle. The less obvious questions being…“How desperate am I to escape this cold” and “Is this person trustworthy”?”  He inquired. “I know you’re trying to get to where this railroad ends. I have enhanced senses…I can see the town off in the distance that you seek to reach. It’s still five miles away. You’d never reach their in time unless I carry you.”

“I think I-I’d…f-freeze if…if I let you puh-puh-pick me up…” Fluttershy gulped.

The Cosmo Sapien shook his head. “No, no. I meant I could carry you in my stomach, then regurgitate you. It’s quite warm inside.”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wider than saucers as she gaped at the suggestion, the hunter continuing. “Your fear is understandable. Look at it this way, though. If I am honest, you’ll make it home. If I’m NOT, at least you will die warm and with company, rather than cold and alone. What do you really have to lose?” He inquired, holding out a clawed hand, Fluttershy cringing as she gulped nervously.

“I…g-guess nothing…” She managed to admit. “Al…alright I’ll…I’ll…I…I suppose I don’t…don’t have any choice…” She whimpered, closing her eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to watch what was happening to her.

“Just relax…and don’t forget to take deep, deep breaths.” He tenderly intoned, carefully lifting her up, as she felt his warm breath on her face, the hunter gently inserting her head into his pulsing mouth. With a tug of her torso, he shoved it into his throat and pressed his lips on her neck, his stomach gave a gurgle as if in anticipation as he forced the pony’s shoulders inside. With Fluttershy securely in his grasp, his tongue began to travel over the pony’s chest, Fluttershy still not opening her eyes.

She was surprised, though. How EASILY he was working his jaws over her shoulders….each new gulp sending more and more of her body into his maw, a grip from his teeth aiding him in devouring her torso. Soon he had a mouthful of Fluttershy’s hips and his claws let go of her body to let gravity do the work for him as he rubbed his slightly expanding belly, another gulp sending Fluttershy’s thighs into his mouth, his deep, low moans indicating he was clearly enjoying this.

Fluttershy felt the warm massage of his throat over her body, her head beginning to enter what was clearly his stomach, soft muscles squeezing, kneading him like bread, so squishy and pleasant. Her front legs already stuffed into the hunter’s throat, all that remained were her legs and her rear, which the hunter was now resting his claws upon. He felt her shiver in fear, and he gently rubbed her bottom, stroking it, trying to calm her before giving another deep swallow that sent her legs down, slurping up her hooves. His tongue explored the taste of her hooves, tickling them slightly as saliva washed over her soles and Fluttershy sank deeper into a deep, dark abyss  that began to engulf her. She was curled up now in a fetal position, feeling like she was in a mixture of water and jelly, and took in large, deep breaths, still terrified of opening her eyes…

But open them she did, finding herself in a strangely pillow-like place, everything cushioning her as she was massaged by the muscles of the belly. It was so odd…and why was the liquid she was breathing in helping her? How could she breathe? How…

Hands? Something was…caressing her? Comforting her? She could faintly feel what felt like dozens of hands all tenderly resting on her body, trying to stroke her, tend to her, a nice, tingling warmth rising in her as she felt something even bigger rubbing her. The hunter was rubbing his stomach and she could…hear him speaking as if he was right by her side.

“Just relax…calm down. Deep breaths.” He insisted. “It’s slightly jarring to some, but you don’t need to be frightened. You’re feeling the many others I’ve absorbed over the years into my body. That’s how my kind eats. But I can hold people indefinitely inside my stomach, in the dark matter that is the space between spaces. I AM a living galaxy after all.” He informed her. “So take deep breaths.”

Fluttershy gulped a bit…but took in a few careful, cautious, deep breaths, now beginning to feel more comfortable than nervous as she leaned back against the soft walls around her. It was much like resting against a bean bag chair, or a plushy couch with a blanket upon it as she heard cheery voices speaking to her in her mind.

_“We’re here for you.”_

_“It’s okay, the Huntsman won’t hurt you.”_

_“He’s gonna get you home.”_

_“It’ll be alright, Miss Pony.”_

“Y-you promise you won’t…um…digest me?” Fluttershy nervously asked of “The Huntsman” as she felt him chuckle.

“I **ALWAYS** keep my word.” He insisted, Fluttershy feeling him rub his belly again. “I’ll let you out at your village when we arrive. Should only take half an hour.”

“Did you, um…that is…see my friends? Other ponies? I’m worried they were hurt by the train attack.” Fluttershy wanted to know, tapping her hooves together as the Huntsman “hmmmed” for a moment before speaking.

“I examined the crash before I approached you. There’s no bodies, if you’re frightened of their deaths. Most likely, they were taken by a rescue team that couldn’t find you since this place was swaming with insectoid creatures that probably scared them away.”

“Changelings. They’re not exactly…nice to us ponies.”

“I wasn’t very nice to them either when they attacked me. Again. I had ended up coming to Equestria late. I had meant to come here a hundred years after my challenge against the two matriarchs of your land, but I was...seeking family. Family long gone. I ended up coming here long after your lunar princess had been banished, and encountered Changelings instead.” The Huntsman admitted. “They won’t be coming back, I assure you. I reminded them why they lost against me a hundred heard ago. They're not eager for a repeat of my banquet. Now relax…enjoy your stay for the moment.” He cooed to her, rubbing his bulging belly. “Get some rest. You’ve earned it, my little pony.”

…

…

…

… “We’ve got to go find her!” Twilight insisted to the rescue team, pacing back and forth, the others murmuring and whispering to each other at the train station, Twilight’s horn alit with magical energy as she curved a hoof into a fist, Mister First Aid shaking his redheaded head back and forth.

“That stretch of track where the Changelings first attacked the train is swarming with Changelings. You’re all still injured and need rest, and we need backup before we go back out in the middle of a worsening blizzard.” He insisted. “It’s a miracle the train even kept GOING for a few more miles before it finally crashed.”

“Well, we tried to keep it steady as best we could WHILE they were trying to knock it off the track.” Applejack admitted, shaking her head back and forth, looking down at her broken leg, cringing visibly.

“They were REAL mean.” Pinkie growled out. “Some people need to learn how to PLAY NICE!”

“Uh…g-g-guys?” The little draconic assistant of Twilight squeaked out, eyes bugging in horror as he pointed across the train station at a figure making his way through a thick cloud of snow and biting winter wind. “I DON’T think that’s a pony…”

“Don’t think that’s a Changeling either…” Twilight whispered as the figure stepped out of the cloud and onto the train station terminal, patting his chest, letting out a slight burp as his belly bulged out. “…oh no. Y-you…you didn’t!”

“I’ll let her out in a moment, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria.” The Huntsman admitted, holding a clawed hand up. “After all, it's swimsuit season and I want to slim down. But you and I have matters to discuss. Shall we speak in your home?”

"My home blew up." Twilight muttered.

"Oh! We have something in common. I feel like we're friends already! I'm already so close to Fluttershy-" The Huntsman cringed. "Too soon, sorry."

“Uh…sh-should…should I write to the princesses?” Spike eeped out, Twilight nodding her head as Applejack and Rainbow Dash quickly stepped forward, eyes narrowing as they tried to ignore the pain that shot up from their broken legs, Rarity looking over at Twilight…Pinkie Pie poking the Huntsman’s stomach.

“Pinkie!” Twilight groaned.

“Ooh, jiggly!” Pinkie giggled.

“Wakey, wakey.” The Huntsman remarked, concentrating as Fluttershy began to phase out of the stomach as if emerging from water, Pinkie Pie catching her as she fell down, the Huntsman folding his arms over his chest. “You’re back home, as I promised.”

“It’s the puppy eyes, isn’t it?” Pinkie wanted to know with a cheery smile. “They always charm everyone over. That’s why you didn’t make her into a continental breakfast!”

“Well…somewhat.” The Huntsman admitted. “But as I said…we’ve much to discuss. And we shouldn’t do it here.”

Indeed, it wasn’t long before all of them were sitting in Ms. Cake’s shop, the Huntsman hungrily devouring entire cakes in big, enormous gulps, wolfing down one after another as Pinkie sighed wistfully, resting her head on a hoof and beaming at the sight. “He’s a man after my own heart.” She whispered, Rarity feeling the Huntsman’s sides as he blushed slightly at her touch, putting the double-chocolate frosted cake he’d been about to swallow down to the side.

“Ohhhh myyyyy. The texture of the skin is FASCINATING. It’s like warm satin.” She murmured, the unicorn’s eyes going wide in amazement. “It feels so…pleasurable.”

“You should feel the manes of the rulers of your land. It’s even more divine to the touch. And Celestia's smells like CHERRIES!” The Huntsman complimented with a nod at Twilight, who quickly got out her notebook, scribbling down in it with her quill dipped in fresh ink, starting an entry “Interview with Cosmo Sapien: First Contact for Equestria”. “I’m certain your rulers spoke of why I came here last time?”

“Yes. For “worthy prey”?” Twilight wanted to know, the Huntsman nodding.

“They fought me to a standstill. Now a century has passed. I seek to define a simple question: whether you are worthy as a race to learn what I have to teach…or whether you are simply food.” He informed them, swallowing up the double chocolate cake with a mighty gulp, licking his lips free of frosting as he rested his hands in his lap, blue eyes slightly twinkling. “It’s what my species does, after all. The worthy get taught on any subject they’d like. A living galaxy has much to offer a world, no matter what the world may be.”

“What if we just want you to leave, bucko?” Rainbow Dash growled a bit, folding her arms across her chest, eyes narrowing as the Huntsman smiled darkly.

“You really…don’t want to try and make me. I’ve had people do that. They learned the hard way that I don’t suffer fools. The Changeling queen tried a hundred years ago. I ate half her army before I decided the taste didn't suit me and I decided to try again in another century. If you’re good enough to injure me…make me BLEED. Genuinely hurt me in any way…I’ll speak to your scholars of ways to cross the universe. Teach your mages of spells that make reality rend itself asunder. Inform your chefs of exotic and fascinating dishes they never knew could be made. I will build for you or kill for you. Anything you wish me to do…will be done. However, if you fail…”

He rested a clawed hand on his gut. “You will nourish me. I will eat and eat until I am full. Then I will leave and return in another hundred years to see if you’re, at last, worthy.”

Everyone else who’d been in the store and had so much as a CUPCAKE before them immediately pushed their food away. Suddenly they weren’t so hungry anymore.

“We can beat you. Together.” Rainbow Dash insisted firmly, nodding at the others as they all nodded at once, Dash slamming her hooves together with a big grin…

And then **HOWLED**. She’d forgotten she wasn’t supposed to put any kind of sudden pressure on that hoof or arm.

“…maybe just not right now?” Fluttershy added nervously with a gulp as the Huntsman nonchalantly began to peel a candy apple with a single claw, whistling slightly as Rainbow Dash hopped around the Cake’s Store, wincing and going “Oohnch, oohnch, oohnch” again and again, Applejack helping her friend hobble towards the door.

Yes…Spike definitely needed to write to Celestia, and fast. Something told Twilight there was no way that the Huntsman would be able to hold off the fight for the week it would take for all of them to recuperate. They needed to stall.

…Somehow.


	2. Plan of Attack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our brave mane six work together to try and think of a plan to combat the Huntsman. It's then that Prince Blueblood appears to try and lend his "help"...
> 
> He hasn't got a prayer.

**Warning...this chapter has not just soft vore, but open sexual content near the end involving two males, including cooking. You have  even warned.**

Celestia sat upon her throne in Equestria, brow furrowed as Luna sat nearby, holding up a hoof and murmuring soft words as a soft, bluish/green portal began to form from a set of candles that were now situated before the diarchs. The normally bright room became filled with a faintly exotic, darkening mist that rose up from the candles, transfiguring itself into a large portal, a two-way mirror that faintly shimmered before coming into more physical form. Now the two rulers of Equestria were looking at their beloved Elements of Harmony, who had set up similar candles in the enormous hall that was Twilight's new abode as Princess of Ponyville.

A circular table ensured all were equal, each of the girls clearly visible all at once just as the two regal sisters were, Spike backing away from the candles he'd lit as he bowed his head in deference, sitting down on Twilight's lap as she placed her hooves together, Princess Celestia taking notice of something she had not expected to see...

A horde of Ponyville citizens were all gathered in the hall, many of them nervously murmuring among themselves in hushed, slightly terrified tones. All of it was perfectly understandable. They were facing a force that had expressed the very real desire to eat them whole and alive. A living galaxy from the stars above that had fought their supposedly all-powerful rulers of their home to a standstill, and had only spared Equestria further violence because he'd been off trying to find his only remaining family the first time...and then the second time had been sated by evidently devouring half of the Changeling race after Queen Chrysalis had foolishly tried to grab hold of him, thinking a living galaxy that could be milked for emotion would be a banquet.

Well, it had been a banquet. But not for her. So they were all understandably struggling not to just burst out screaming.

"We need a plan." Twilight Sparkle spoke up. "If Chrysalis could throw her entire army at him and they didn't do anything to hold him back I don't know if we could succeed if all of Ponyville or Canterlot or Cloudsdale joined together and just attacked outright."

"Any attempt such as that must be an absolute last resort." Princess Celestia insisted with a firm nod. "I want to make that clear. I don't want any of you ganging together for a desperate, futile attack on him. That sort of tactic must only be tried if nothing else succeeds." She added with a wave of a hoof. "Bluebood wanted to try it, truth be told. He came to me about this very tactic the instant he heard the Huntsman had arrived."

"He's not very smart, is he?" Twilight sighed as she shook her head back and forth. "Could you speak to him? I want him to stop sending me things, I'm NOT INTERESTED in him."

"How shallow that he only cares for you because you're an alicorn princess." Rarity said, flicking her purple hair slightly back with a "harrumph", folding her arms over her chest. "A kiddy pool has more depth than him and infinitely more class."

"If it should, in fact, come to a full frontal attack like that asinine aristocrat Bluebood desires, your brother is already mobilzing our army, and Princess Cadence is readying the Crystal Empire's forces." Luna spoke up with a soft bow of her head, her nightly mane flowing about her like a river as she soothingly spoke to her little ponies. "We've already explained the plan to the military forces in Cloudsdale. The Wonderbolts are go."

"Furthermore, we must ask all those with children to immediately relocate them out of Ponyville. The Appleloosa Army has begun setting up shelters to take them in, and-" Princess Celestia began before the cacophony of angry parents filled the air, Fluttershy covering her ears with her hooves as Rainbow Dash wheeled about.

"You can't be serious!"

"We won't abandon our children!"

"This is our home!"

"What if he attacks there!?"

"HEY!" Rainbow Dash roared out, slamming her hooves down onto the table, all of the screaming, protesting parents quickly rendered stupified and silent as she let out a loud "YEOOOW", her arm still not fully healed as she pointed at the two-way mirror portal on the table, shaking her head back and forth, rainbow mane flopping about. "Princess Celestia and Luna are trying to keep your kids safe. We can't have them here where WE'LL be taking on the Huntsman. We don't want him getting them involved! We've got to get them out of the city whilst everyone who can fight gets ready to take him on if we fail!"

"This is a great burden to place on all of you. We understand that." Princess Celestia murmured quietly, bowing her head as she shook it slightly back and forth. "We take no joy in asking you to send your children away. However, we cannot risk them getting injured by any battle between the Elements of Harmony and the Huntsman. Nor do we wish to risk him getting peckish and, well, perhaps deciding to begin his meal with your children. No parent should have to bury their child." She whispered softly, her voice barely audible as the parents who'd spoken up all slightly stepped back, looking nervously about at each other as an awkward silence filled the air.

For a few moments, nobody spoke. Then Twilight broke the silence, holding a hoof in the air. "What can you tell us about when you fought him a millenia ago?" She asked of the princesses, Luna and Celestia's eyes clouding slightly over with memory before Celestia smiled slightly.

"We were planning a way to contend with Discord when he appeared. He was imposing frightening, and, well, surprisingly funny."

"He had quite an interesting sense of humor." Luna admitted. "And, as we learned, a surprising amount of honor. He laid the ground rules for us, and happily agreed that if we fell to him, he'd grant us a kindness and deal with Discord himself. He's not **inconsiderate**."

"You will be able to make use of that. He was young when he met us Quite inexperienced. Hadn't fought with many on our level before!" Celestia added with a wave of her hoof and a slight, almost proud smile. "He was also very surprised by our ability to raise the sun and moon. It distracted him."

Luna nodded over at her sister, then turned to look upon Twilight. "He wished, we believe, to wear us down, and we sought to do the same to him. We couldn't exactly harm him with outright force, he was always prepared for that. Had his stamina not been so great, we likely would have won. And had OUR stamina not been so great, he could have had us at his mercy. You must be unconventional in how you approach him."

"Think outside the box?" Twilight wanted to know, tapping the side of her head and nodding a bit. "We can do that, trust us."

"Where is he now?" Princess Celestia inquired, raising an eyebrow up as Applejack tilted her hat at the princess with a firm nod.

"He's outside, ma'am. Eatin' Zap Apples. Says he likes the tingle. Reckon EVERYONE likes the tingle they give when they get down yer throat."

Indeed, the Huntsman was calmly peeling the skin off of a rainbow-branded Zap Apple, nonchalantly whistling a merry little tune as Applejack's big brother, Big Macintosh, sat by the cart he'd tugged along, now only half-full of Zap Apples as the Cosmo Sapien tossed the skinned apple into his maw and swallowed it in a single gulp. Applejack's baby sister Apple Bloom hid behind the thick legs of her crimson-furred brother, a splash of yellow hiding behind apple red as her deep red hair nervously bobbed a bit as she poked her head up from behind one such leg, her friends watching from behind the apple cart. Neither the deep orange/brown little foal Scootaloo nor the pale-coated Sweetie Belle felt the courage to get much closer. In fact, Scootaloo very much wanted to fly away. Problem was there was the little fact her wings were near useless and barely able to help her hover. Something about this being simply scared the living bejeebus out of them in a way nothing before had.

"Um...M-Mister...Huntsman, sir?" Apple Bloom managed to gulp out, the Huntsman lowering the apple he'd been about to eat, staring at her with his pale, icy blue eyes, slowly blinking at her. He waited a few moments as she stammered there, unable to formulate thoughts into coherent words.

"Take your time, little one." He intoned. "I've got plenty of time."

"Y-you're...um...that is...you don't...like...eat foals, do you?" She finally asked, Big Macintosh giving the Huntsman a "You'd better not answer that the wrong way or I'll personally skin you myself like you did those apples" glare.

"I've swallowed up mountains, oceans, towns and cities. Old, young, man, woman and child." The Huntsman informed her, sitting up from the bench outside of Twilight's new castle, looking down on Apple Bloom. "BUT I _prefer_ not to eat children." He offered. "I like children." He added, kneeling down and smiling at her with his fanged grin.

"Why do you gotta eat people? Cantcha just like have a sandwich?" Apple Bloom managed to get out, the Huntsman sighing sadly as he hung his head.

"What flows through me, the energy I use in my powers, it's what my race called "tantric energy". It's the energy the spirit of living, sentient beings gives off. It's why my race **has** to feed on sentient beings. We living galaxies need it to not merely sustain our powers, but to help keep entropy at bay." The Huntsman explained to the young foal as she blinked stupidly in confusion.

"Entropy? That...is that some kinda magic?"

"Close, but not quite. Think of it like this. Your body needs energy or it begins to wear down. Mine requires even more of it than yours." The Huntsman chuckled. "You know, you remind me of my sister. She too had this immense curiosity. She was **always** fascinated by other beings."

Big Mac immediately put a hoof around Apple Bloom and glared protectively at the Huntsman. "No. Touchy." He muttered darkly.

"Relax." The Huntsman said, holding a clawed hand up, looking off to the side, chuckling a bit. "I believe a much more _satisfying_ meal has presented itself to me." He remarked as loud trumpets blared in the air, Big Mac, Apple Bloom, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle whipping their heads behind them, seeing a large assembly of armored ponies flanking a thick-chested, golden-haired, blue eyed HUNK of a stallion who was trotting his way into town at the forefront of his men. Banners flowed to the side of him as the trumpets blared a jaunty, triumphant, militaristic tune, Sweetie Belle slapping her face and dragging it slightly down with her hoof.

"Oh NO, not BLUEBLOOD." She moaned just as Rarity poked her head out of the palace along with the rest of the Mane Six, Twilight especially groaning in annoyance. Was he here for what she thought he was here for, because she'd been getting presents and letters from him in the mail for the past three weeks, he'd been pestering her constantly at Canterlot and now-

"Princess!" Blueblood's highfalutin, stuck-up voice proclaimed as he spread his legs slightly wide, the Huntsman nonchalantly resting his head on one hand, clearly amused by all of this. "Tis I! Here to slay this foul beast and win your hand in one swift, bold, brave motion!"

"Oh, my. Blueblood is about to be chivalrous. Well. I guess there's a first time for everything!" Rarity wryly muttered.

"Blueblood, what the buck do you think you're doing?" Twilight Sparkle managed to growl out through gritted teeth, her brow furrowed as she threw her hooves in the air, still hanging slightly out of the enormous windows her palace, her and her friends bright splashes of color against the bluish/grey of her new home as Bluebood cleared his throat. "You have to get out of here, now!"

**_"Tis I! Tis I! Your noble, regal steed! Princess! My love! At last, you shall be freed! I'm strong and brave, and to do what none will dare! To fight with speed, and massive might and soft and bouncy haaaaiiir!"_** Bluebood proclaimed, standing on his hindquarters, swishing his mane through the air as it flowed like a zephyr in the breeze, several of the onlookers peeking out through other windows gasping and fainting as the Huntsman rubbed his chin.

"Hmm." He remarked with interest, Big Mac giving him a look. "What? I appreciate beauty, regardless of gender."

"Blueblood, get out of here or he'll eat you alive! Literally! I don't mean that as a figure of speech!" Twilight insisted fervently as the Huntsman calmly began cracking his knuckles, Big Mac sweeping up Apple Bloom and bolting away with her, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo following after, since, of course, this next part was surely not going to be suitable for children.

"Good shall always triumph over evil!" Blueblood proclaimed majestically, charging at the Huntsman, letting out a powerful roar as his horn glowed brightly, a bolt of lightning shooting around it as it shifted into an enormous lance that leveled itself at the Huntsman.

"I'm not evil, I'm just **hungry**." The Huntsman commented calmly, holding out a single palm, claws slightly curling as he caught the lance, lifting the now terrified Blueblood up into the air with his other hand, the electrical lance being absorbed into the Huntsman's palm as if sliding down into quicksand, the unicorn nobleman struggling uselessly to free himself from the horned, starry-bodied being's grip. The Huntsman licked his lips, holding up an apple from the cart.

"I think slightly roasted, a Zap Apple here,a fine wine sauce? Yes, you'll taste positively divine!" The alien hunter informed Blueblood, who's blue eyes bulged in horror as the Huntsman shoved a zap apple into his mouth, his claws working their way over Blueblood's pale white regalia, cutting open the coat he was wearing over his entire body, taking off the faintly bluish/white undershirt and the royal blue bow tie he wore, taking the bow tie and tying it around Blueblood's mouth to keep the apple in. "Oh. Right" He took notice of the terrified, disgusted ponies watching him, slinging Blueblood over his shoulder, one arm keeping his back hooves tied together, the other holding his neck down onto his shoulder. "You don't wish to see that. My apologies, you'd, ah, had best stay away from the local diner I took notice of when I was inside your town for the next, say, half an hour? Forty minutes?"

"S-sure." Applejack gulped out, mouth agape, not the only one struggling to find the words to describe how incredibly bucked-up this all was as the Huntsman calmly walked past Blueblood's astonished platoon of men, stopping briefly to address them.

"I don't suppose any of you would like me to let him go?"

They all **immediately** bolted, the horns, trumpets, banners and various drums flopping uselessly to the ground like deflated balloons, Blueblood beginning to bawl as the Huntsman slightly shrugged, continuing his way into the town as Twilight gulped nervously, slowly turning around and facing her friends and the other denizens of Ponyville.

"Umcan't we try and help him?" Fluttershy spoke up. "I meanwe can't just leave him to be eaten!"

"What can we do? Remember, if we all just charge at him outright-" Applejack mumbled, shaking her head back and forth.

"I wanted him to learn some maner, not-I mean! I mean, what are we supposed to do? How can we fight something that can shrug off a bolt of lightning easily?" Rarity whispered out to the others, her face filled with pure fear.

"I **think** the best we can do is to come up with some ideas for how to deal with the Huntsman whilst he's preoccupied" Princess Twilight Sparkle muttered nervously, Rainbow Dash looking down at her still sore arm, cringing a bit as she rubbed it. Suddenly that injury and what her friends had endured at the train crash just a day ago seemed sopettycompared to what Blueblood was going to go through.

They needed a plan. And fast.

Meanwhile, there were even darker forces on the horizon. Or rather, on the edge of town, waiting to make a move. Yes, a sinister seductress had arisen to cast a dark shadow over Equestria gain, beginning with Ponyville. The one, the only, Queen Chrysalis, was back.

"MWA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" Queen Chrysalis cackled as she sat atop the enormous black carapace of the Changeling Army's newest attempt to take down the Elements of Harmony, acquire a food source for her race and then march on Canterlot. It was the beetle-esque, quadruple-winged "Black Battalion Bug" that now held her and her army, and it was a true marvel of Changeling design. Crafted out of a mixture of donated Changeling shells, skin and chitin, melded together with the specialized cocooning liquid her species used to imprison prey and leech off emotions from, the Triple B was making its way towards Ponyville, several hordes of Changeling troops standing atop the flat carapace at the crest of the Triple B. "With this, I will crush Equestria beneath my hooves!"

"We're only a half a mile away from Ponyville, your majesty!" The chief scout proclaimed as his holey hooves held up a set of binoculars for his deep red eyes to peer through. The average Changeling didn't have eye shades rarer than the primary colors of the rainbow, unlike Chrysalis, who's eyes were a vibrant green and alit with delight as she eagerly licked her lips, anticipating a wonderful feast. "And it seems utterly deserted! We believe they're all inside that castle!"

"We have them cornered, then. Move the ship in closer, steady as she goes." Chrysalis insisted, turning about to address her horde, her long, slick, oily hair falling about her face as she slightly brushed a lock to the side. "Now, my Little Changelings, listen well. This will be a small test of your abilities to move in conjunction with the Black Battalion Bug. It can handle most forms of magic, rocks and tree trunks just bounce off of itit will rain down destruction as you provide ground assaults and sweep through-"

"My Liege!" The scout cried out, eyes bugging out from his binoculars. "The-there's a-a monster in the middle of the town! He's got Prince Blueblood of Canterlot slung over his shoulder! He looks like some kind of freakish minotaur but he has no hooves and his body's all made of stars! He's looking right AT us! And some of the crew members say it's that "horrific horned thing from a century ago"!"

"Hellooooo." The Huntsman mused, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up as he beheld the black blob in the sky making its way towards the town, with him moments from entering Ponyville Diner. "What's this? I recognize that scent"

"Noooo _ _nooooooooo__ " Queen Chrysalis gulped, quickly shoving the scout to the side and holding the binoculars up, peering through and gaping in horror as a cold, dark chill shot through her skinny frame. "It's HIM! SCUTTLE! SCUTTLE!"

"I don''t think he has a ship to chase after us with, do you mean turn it around, the ship's not fast enough to do quick turns and revers-" The scout began to say as Chrysalis grabbed hold of him and shook him back and forth like a ragdoll.

"Scuttle the SHIP, I mean! It'll save us some time and a thousand cooked alive Changelings!" She shrieked, all of the changelings immediately ripping the ship to pieces, entire chunks being quickly ripped off. Sure enough, within a few minutes of impressive destruction, screeching, tearing and howling in fear, the entire ship promptly plummeted towards the ground with a mighty crash of thunder, the Changelings taking off in the opposite direction of the Huntsman as he tilted his head slightly to the side, slightly confused and slightly disappointed. He'd never gotten the chance to see if Chrysalis had tasted better than her soldiers. There'd been so little meat on them.

Too crunchy

"Ah, well. **You'll** do nicely, stallion." He informed Blueblood, entering the diner and making his way into the kitchen, setting the nobleman down on the enormous rectangular cooking table. Cosmo Sapien then carefully leaned down, fanged mouth leaning in, whispering into Blueblood's ear as the noble twitched and shivered in pure fear, his blood turned to icewater in his veins as the Huntsman spoke, his ethereal voice speaking softly, almost comfortingly.

"I'm giving you a choice. Cooking you alive would be agonizing. I can make this painless for you in exchange for your absolute utter submission. You will not struggle. You will not resist. You won't fight back or try to break free. Submit, and your final hours will be pleasant and comforting." The Huntsman cooed, his clawed hands carefully stroking down Blueblood's back, petting him. "Such a beautiful specimen deserves to be treated gently. Will you give in utterly to me? Submit your body completely?"

Blueblood couldn't speak, the Zap Apple still in his mouth, his tears flowing freely down his cheeks as he nodded, whimpering a bit, knowing he was powerless to resist, the Huntsman tenderly patting his head. "Good." He murmured. "Don't worry. I always, always keep my word." He said, Blueblood feeling the Huntsman's claws carefully lift him up and he was turned around, the holding him tight to his chest. One hand held the stallion's head against his breast so the Stallion could faintly hear the alien hunter's heart beating, the other gently resting it upon Blueblood's rear, easing it down, Blueblood feeling something pushing against his rear

Blueblood shuddered as it slid in, and out, in and out, smooth, calm, careful. The Huntsman was being true to his word. It wasn't painful, and within a few minutes, a thick, warm warmth began to spread up through the stallion's rear, a warm haze filling his body as the Huntsman let out a soft hiss, more of the liquid filling Blueblood up as he breathed deep into the stallion's neck, his breath hot and heavy.

"My father taught me to be as merciful to my prey as possible. That doing this allows a powerful aphrodisiac to flood into their bodies. It assists with my meals. This kindness may mean little to most of my kind, but my family knew it meant everything to our prey. They deserve better! Which is what you'll receive." He informed Blueblood quietly, his seed flowing freely into Blueblood's body before, at last, he slid it out. With a slow, careful "PLOP" it removed itself from Blueblood's rear and the Huntsman could see the former noble's face was alit with ectasy, eyes half-glazed, murmuring softly in delight as the Huntsman carried him over to the table and laid him down, turning to the nearby oven. It was a good thing it was so large

"I want you to understand this. You're not dying needlessly." The Huntsman added with a soft nod of his horned head, patting Blueblood's head with his hands. "Every bit of you will be tenderly recycled, broken down into raw materials that will help the many worlds within me. You'll ensure fine harvests of crops, providing nutrients for the plants. Your genetic material will disseminate and help seed other worlds within me. Your intelligence will be added to my own. Even your spirit will join me. You'll see through my eyes, feel what I do. Take comfort in that, Blueblood." The Huntsman gently requested before he placed the nobleman inside the oven.

With a SCHOOMP, the  door closed, and Blueblood was sealed away within the intense, blazing heat that was slowly, but painlessly, cooking him alive.  He wasn't sure how, but the Huntsman had been right. He'd kept his word, the process didn't hurt a bit, his fur reddening, his awareness slowly fading into nothingness. Within a few minutes, he was now a delightfully cooked golden brown color, and it was time to give him the proper dressing. The Huntsman nonchalantly preparing his meal, carefully inserting a large carrot into Blueblood's rear, a rather impressive rump indeed, which was now well-accented with his somewhat crisped-up and still curled tail.  The black hooves of his feet were barely visible nestled beneath the two sizable globes of the propped up behind, his calves tucked neatly beneath his hams, and Blueblood's legs were nicely spread open wide to give a good look at them from multiple angles.  The large, ripe rainbow-colored apple was still held in his protruding mouth, thick, juicy flesh, perfectly marbled with a faint layer of muscles and not that much fat at all.

The Huntsman licked his lips, eager to dine, lifting the cooked stallion up, jaws opening wide as he began to swallow the former nobleman whole. It was just as delightful as he'd hoped the species was still very, VERY delicious. He'd managed to enjoy a few who'd foolishly attacked him before meeting with Celestia and Luna, and they were still creamy and juicy, these stallions. This one especially had a lovely vanilla flavor to him, more and more of his cooked body finding it's way down the Huntsman's gullet.

Eventually he sat down in the diner's main dining area, resting his claws upon his belly, a look of superiority on his face as he leisurely stroked it in a circular fashion, a nice bulge clearly visible. "Thank you." He said to his gut where Blueblood's cooked form was now digesting. "Trulythank you." The ponies here were indeed wonderful, absolutely delightful meals. He hoped they'd prove to be far better challenges than Blueblood had, though he preferred to work for his supper.


	3. Origin of the Hunt

Twilight Sparkle had spent the entire night with her friends and with the people of Ponyville, speaking of one thing and one thing alone: how to deal with the Cosmo Sapien that had landed in Equestria. How to contend with this hunter from beyond the stars. How to defeat the Huntsman that had fought Celestia and Luna to a standstill.

Could they, possibly, wear him out like Celestia and Luna had, given enough time? Perhaps...but doubtful. After all, the two had fought against him for days and they'd been in their prime whilst he was young and inexperienced. Now HE was in their prime. Could they ask the two matriarchs to do this on their own once more?

POSSIBLE...with age came wisdom. They'd gained considerable experience and powers, perhaps they could last longer, wear him down...make him bleed. Yes, yes, they could possibly do it...

But then again, if they failed, all of Equestria would lose their beloved monarchs. Could the Elements of Harmony really forgive themselves if they'd told Celestia and Luna to go through with a plan that only succeeded in getting them killed?

Then again, that was just one possibility. They had friends in so many places...Discord, Force of Chaos and Disharmony. Surely he could do something...couldn't he? Then again, this was a living galaxy they were fighting....whatever Discord planned to do might be moot. Could Zecora's special Zebra magics have some kind of solution? Or perhaps a trip to the Griffon Empire to the far North would yield a solution, for the Griffon race had tactics and skills quite different from ponies, even, it was rumored, a different brand of magic, just like how the minotaur race had fascinating types of alternate magic. Could an appeal to the Griffon's new empress be the solution?

Or, perhaps, as Spike had suggested...the dragons. SOME of them weren't completely unreasonable...and others, if they heard about an alien hunter from beyond the stars would JUMP at the chance to fight this fascinating new foe. Machismo pumped through dragon blood like liquid fire...

But before they tried that, Fluttershy wanted to try something. Something Twilight was fairly bucking sure would not work, but...oh well. She knocked on the door of the diner the next day, slowly opening up the door. Sure enough, the Huntsman was nonchalantly pouring himself what was unmistakably a cup of hot coffee, whistling cheerily as his horned head bounced back and forth, tapping a foot as he turned to look upon the soft face of Fluttershy.

"Miss Fluttershy. What a pleasant surprise." His ethereal, slightly echoing voice remarked as he bowed his head a bit, sipping from the mug of hot chocolate he had as he walked out from behind the diner's kitchen counter, resting his arms upon the cash register and cheerily smiling at the pink-haired pony. "However can I help you?"

Fluttershy's soft, lilting voice slowly rose out from her mouth as she cleared her throat, looking nervously at his stomach. Thankfully, there wasn't any...bulge...left over from when he'd-she shuddered, thinking about Blueblood's shocked face as he'd been snatched up so easily. "I, um, that is, I, uh..."

"Spit it out." The Huntsman remarked. "Which reminds me..."

He held up a hand, hacking slightly, a bit of yellow flair flopping out onto the floor as he cringed. "Sorry. Hairball."

"Please just leave!" She finally managed to get out. "PLEASE. Don't hurt anyone else. Please just go away, far away, and don't ever come back. I KNOW you need to eat...to eat people. Not just animals, but people, Big Mac, Applebloom, they told us about it, that you need that energy people give off to survive. I...I get you need to gobble up...gobble up people. But..." She quivered slightly, her body shivering as he stood up, putting the mug of hot chocolate down on the pale, faded top of the cash register. "Can't you...I don't know, I mean...can't you at the very least try NOT eating people? Or...only go after really bad, BAD people?"

"Do you know how long I can last without eating someone? A month at the most." The Huntsman admitted as he put a clawed hand on his chest, sighing slightly, pale blue eyes closing. "Because if I don't eat anyone after that...living, sentient beings with tantric energy...I get more and more feral. Desperate. And then I start to starve and die and my body begins to go. If I was just an ordinary being, I'd gladly let myself perish if it meant keeping innocents safe." He told her mournfully. "But I'm a Cosmo Sapien. I am a living galaxy. I have...billions of others within me to think about. Why should they all die just because I start feeling guilty?" He asked of Fluttershy. "They shouldn't have to be sacrificed."

"But it's not right to sacrifice others either..." Fluttershy mumbled, hanging her head, looking as though she wished to cry. "It's so...mean."

"Fluttershy..." The Huntsman said, his tone becoming more gentle and soft as he carefully walked around the cashier stand to her, kneeling by her, tenderly lifting up her head to make her look into his eyes, cyan into icy blue. "How many terrible people do you think are in your world? Maybe...one out of every hundred? One out of a thousand?" He asked her. "Terrible people are the exception, not the rule, to life. I've learned that very quickly. It isn't like there's a planet full entirely of murderers and bunny rapists." He added, glancing over her shoulder, Fluttershy's pet rabbit Angel holding up a small sign that read "I Will Bury You" in hastily scratched letters, one fist shaking furiously as he sat outside the diner on a flower box. "If I COULD just eat awful people, monstrous people who just like hurting others, I WOULD. It's just...it's not easy as you might think to find prey such as that. And more often than not, they're really all cowards...not even remotely a challenge. My species LIVES for that...the challenge, the thrill, the hunt. It's practically in our blood."

He stood up and turned away from her, covering his face with one hand, sighing. "If I'd been here just a few months ago, I would have gladly dealt with your "Tirek" problem for you, and I'd probably have been quite well fed for at least a month, but...the people in your jails are just overwhelmingly the occasional thief or violent drunk...not a challenge, not a threat, not a meal. Not even much of a snack."

"Just because something is convenient, doesn't mean it's right." Fluttershy muttered as she headed for the kitchen, deciding to pour HERSELF some hot cocoa as she lifted the pot up, pouring some contents into another mug, casting a glare over at the Huntsman's direction. "You could try looking harder...and that way you wouldn't have to hurt innocent people."

"So you want me to delay my feeding for a potential meal later...rather than a certain one I could get right now?" He asked of her, raising a nonexistent eyebrow up. "I'm sorry. Honestly. But I can't wait that long." He admitted. "I'm willing to give all of you a few more days thanks to the meal I just enjoyed. But in three days, I'll choose whom I'm hunting...and if you don't succeed in harming me, making me bleed, truly HURTING me, then..." He trailed off.

Fluttershy sipped her hot cocoa, taking in a deep breath for a moment before the Huntsman headed over to a nearby table and absentmindedly twirled a single claw on the top, biting into his lip as Fluttershy got an idea. "Could you...tell me about your people? You said to us you were looking for your sister, you'd told the Princesses you were the only one left. Why is that? That is...if you don't mind me asking?" She wanted to know with a nervous gulp as the Huntsman smiled wistfully, his eyes filling with faint memory as he glanced up and out the window, speaking softly...thoughtfully...

Slowly he made his way across barren desert, wrapping his arms around his chest and shuddering as he struggled to keep his sobs contained.

"It had been fifteen weeks. Fifteen weeks without food. Fifteen weeks since…since everything had gone straight down the tubes and my race had gone extinct."

The chill of the wind cut into him, digging its claws in deep into his skull as he moaned in a mixture of pain and despair, his parent’s final insistences ringing in his head, bouncing back and forth. He couldn’t take much more of this…

"I was so hungry...but there were no animals around to hunt. And…no people. It was a rather foolish way of living. My people were hunters through and through, Fluttershy. We’d go from planet to planet and look for challenges and food. As you know, if any of the natives managed to actually really hurt us, we’d teach them all we knew and we’d leave.

“But that couldn’t have made you that popular. I doubt you lost that often, Mr. Huntsman.”

"No, we didn’t. And eventually a great and powerful racehad enough. The Seraphi came. They sealed us away on our own planet. Destroyed any ability we had to get off unless somebody on the OUTSIDE took pity on us and came, but…we’d made so many enemies that…"

“So what happened?”

It had all gone downhill so fast. Food became scarce, and then nonexistent. Mothers fought with their children. Fathers squabbled with their sons. Families were torn apart over what little scraps of meat remained and…and then came the implosion of law and order on the planet. The tribal governments collapsed. His people were skilled and intelligent only in SOME areas. When it came to growing food…cultivating it…they were sadly lacking.

There had always been rumors of secret bunkers loaded up with caches of “well-won mementos”…of earned rewards after successful hunts on other planets, but…there weren’t any bunkers. People had searched and searched and his mother and father had said nobody had ever found a scrap of meat. So they hunted down what few animals remained on the planet…

And…and then when no animals remained…

"Some people like to make jokes on how they live off their parents. When...when I say that I'm NOT joking."

"I’m so sorry…”

"It’s not your fault. My parents had to teach me how to cut and carve through bone and flesh. Through…through THEIR flesh. All to keep me alive. The last of the hunters…I HAD to live. I couldn’t let their deaths be in vain!"

“How did you survive for so long?”

"Well…it was a stroke of luck, really…"

He couldn’t believe it when he finally reached the mountains…in an annoyed, angry moment he had slammed his fist in frustration against a mountainside…and it had collapsed outward, giving way to a now partially-hidden bunker. Pale blue eyes bugging out, he’d dug and dug his way through the rocky remains about him, his claws tearing the door off it’s hinges, eyes alit with joy as he looked upon the large boxes of cans inside of the room.

Food. FOOD! Canned food, of course…canned food from another world, by the looks of it. He could barely read the language on the big metal boxes inside of the bunker, but he knew the images on the sides of the can were food. He licked his lips, his tongue tapping his fangs and grinned as he ripped the top of the nearest can open, glancing down at the contents. Fruit. Fruit! He popped the greenish/pink slices into his mouth.

Mmmmm. Juicy and sweet, he swished it about in his mouth, drinking in every drop of moisture and savoring the delightful feel of it as it went down his throat. He downed every single slice and licked the can’s insides clean as he reached for another can, ripping IT’S top open with a single claw, licking his lips again. Vegetables, evidently. Slightly tart, but filling, with a faint crunch as he hungrily chewed into them, grabbing for another can…

"It wasn't like meat, but...still very enjoyable."

"Do you...have to swallow them whole? I know you did it to me, but...it would really hurt if you had digested me."

"Well, when we swallow prey whole, that's the proper feeding for my species. I remember the first time my father demonstrated it against...well, your kind would say it's similar to a rabbit. He had me place my head against his stomach so I could feel and hear what the "pooka" was experiencing. I was...worried for it. I didn't want such a cute little thing to suffer, but...it didn’t struggle or cry out. it was too tired, too worn, and it didn’t want to fight back. There was little point.

“That sounds cruel.”

"My father talked about how his kind fed upon people as well in this manner, but...they didn’t suffer when they were gently broken down within our bellies. The process is very pleasurable and comfortable. But he told me that when I had eaten my meals, when they laid within my belly's pit, I...I should speak to my prey. Comfort them."

“Why? If you’re just going to eat them-”

"Because whilst it may have meant little to us, we knew it meant everything to our prey. It would have been cruel otherwise. And I had no idea how soon I’d end up meeting someone else…someone that wasn’t one of my own kind…someone who forced me to do something I’d never wanted to do…"

"What happened?"

"I opened up a can, thinking it was more food, and..."

...

...

...

...“This is fucking SICK.” The Huntsman muttered as he looked down at what had crawled out of the can he’d dropped to the ground, eyes bugged out wide, mouth hanging open, shuddering in disgust. “What…sick…depraved…”

“Hi! I’m Maddy. And you?” The tiny little humanoid WOMAN that had crawled out of the can he’d just opened remarked cheerily, smiling warmly at him with soft green eyes, some freckles on her face as she walked towards him, this…odd THING barely even half a foot tall, her black locks flicking back and forth over her shoulder as she walked towards his head and looked up at him.

“…er…I’m the Huntsman now. I had to leave my old name behind since my people are all gone. No point in my real name…”

“I can’t just call ya HUNTSMAN, can I?”

“…My nickname was “Nebby”.” He muttered, his horned head looking down at this face, this earnest, honest face. “This is…I need to just…just hold on.” He said, slowly getting up and rubbing his eyes, shaking his horned head back and forth. “Let me see if I can understand this, you’re…SENTIENT FOOD?! They…they stuck people in a can on your planet for others to eat?!”

“Yeah, that’s how they did things.” Maddy said with a shrug, looking up at this strange face, those pale blue eyes, a face of one with definite standards which could not be easily doubted. “We Women in a Can all share a collective consciousness. That way we know how to best appeal in taste and preparation for different classes, genders, species…everybody shares what they remember. None of us were ever eaten by one of YOU before. You’re a very interesting looking alien!” She admitted, rubbing his black body, the tiny little dots in his form blinking a bit. “They look like…stars in the night sky.”

“They ARE stars. My species are living galaxies.” The Huntsman admitted with a nod as he carefully lowered his palm down and helped her up, looking her over. “You’re so small…” He murmured softly. “You said your name was Maddy?”

“Yes. We’re based off the personality of our originator. Being made into a template for food means you go into a lab every month and take tests, it’s good money so a lot of people are fine with being templates for “Vore in a Can”.” Maddy admitted with a shrug.

“But…you’re people.” The Huntsman murmured. “I can’t eat a person. If you’re capable of debating why you can’t be eaten, you shouldn't be EATEN! That’s…that’s not right!”

“We’ve had other people tell us that too.” Maddy admitted as she looked up at the Huntsman, seeing the concern on his almost ethereal face, a sad glint coming to her eyes before she sighed. “Well, uh…would you, perhaps, like to tell me a little about yourself and your kind?”

“My species are known as “The Hunting Party”.” He said, sitting down on a full, box, glancing up and out of the exit. “We were sealed off from the rest of the galaxy by beings even more powerful than us. I’m sure they…they wanted to be KIND.” He mumbled, hanging his head slightly, looking like he wanted to cry, his voice slightly breaking. “That-that they just wanted us to find a different way, to…to th-think about what we’d done all these years but…we ate up all the animals, then…then we turned on each other just to survive.”

“I’m so sorry.” Maddy admitted gently as he held her to his chest and she then comfortingly rubbed it, feeling his body. “Mmmmm. You feel soft and warm. Like…like satin that’s been left out in the summer sun.” She added with a small smile. “You’re a nice person, “Nebby”. I can tell.”

“Thank you.” He admitted with a nod. “Would you like something to eat?” He asked of her. “There’s plenty of fruit cans here.” The horned Huntsman inquired, pulling out a small can and cracking it open with a single claw. He carefully pulled out a slice of the sweet fruit he’d eaten before and gave it to her. She flopped down on his palm onto her back with a THWOOF before munching away on it, eagerly biting into it.

“Mmmmmmm. This is good.” She admitted, happily enjoying the slice of fruit as he held her in his palms.

"I don’t have anyone else here.” He admitted. “Could you, perhaps…keep me company?” He asked of her.

“I don’t have that long a shelf life.” She nervously murmured out, glancing back up at him. “I…I won’t last for more than a week.” Maddy mumbled. “The people that made me didn’t…didn’t want their customers just buying one of us and…and getting close, never buying another. They made us to not last that long so people would keep buying. They weren’t in the business of making PETS…” Maddy finished. “I’m really sorry.”

The Huntsman looked like he wanted to cry, his eyes brimming up with the makings of tears. He couldn’t believe it, not…just when he’d found someone…

“It’s alright.” Maddy whispered, resting her head against his chest. “You’re a nice person. I won't mind."

"I can't hurt you. You're an innocent. I don't want to be like my parents. Even though they only fed when necessary, I...I don't want to take ANY lives. I don't care if I'll die." Nebby murmured to her. "I didn't ASK to be born like this..."

"It won’t be so bad to be one with you." Maddy told him comfortingly. 

“I admit, my kind doesn’t just “digest” live meals. We like to…well, “absorb”.” He admitted nervously. “What we do is we will take our prey and swallow them whole, that’s what my father showed. And we’ll carefully recycle normal prey’s body to help fuel the many, many worlds within us. He said that their deaths ensured the continued survival of millions, but…it feels wrong to sacrifice innocent lives just to keep other lives alive. Why should WE get to pick and choose who lives and dies?” He asked. “That seems mean. How would some family felt if I had to tell them I needed to eat their son because I didn’t wanna die of hunger?” The Huntsman mumbled.

“And “absorbing”? How does that work?” Maddy asked.

“Well…dad never really explained that. He said it was something I had to “feel”, and practice. But…never really got the chance. Haven’t found any other animals or…people. Not until you.” He muttered, looking down at her. “…Maddy. I don’t want to hurt you.” He said, carefully lifting her up and licking her clean as carefully as he could, holding her to his chest in his palm.

“I know. I’m…I’m sorry. I really am.” Maddy whispered back. “…let’s get some sleep.” She asked. “I’m…kind of tired.”

“Alright.” He told her, getting off the crate and heading to the back of the bunker, lying up against some pillows someone had brought in with a bunch of blankets, wrapping one over himself whilst she slept down on one nearby. “Sleep tight, Maddy.” He murmured softly to her. “Sweet dreams.”

...

...

...

... "Maddy was...my first friend." The Huntsman murmured softly, putting a hand on his chest as Fluttershy looked into his eyes, and...saw tears. True tears which he wiped away on his arm. "And my...my first m...my first meal. I didn't want to hurt her. To feel her shape lose form and...and to know that someone so nice and sweet had to die just so I and all within me could live. Good people like that don't deserve that, they..." He bit into his lip. "...but I realized I had no choice. Sometimes...you don't get to choose. Sometimes you're just dealt an awful hand, and you have to play it...and keep playing, hoping that eventually you'll catch a break and do some good."

Fluttershy then did something she didn't think she could have brought herself to do...inching over to him and gently reaching out, putting a hand on his arm as he turned to look at her, her eyes mournful as she shook her head.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. "You seem nice. For all you've done and...and what you have to do, you really do seem nice. I wish I could help you. I WANT there to be something I can do...not something I HAVE to do."

He smiled appreciatively at her, giving her a nod as she left the diner, the door shutting behind her with a SWISH as Angel hopped down the road after her, Neh-Buh-Loh the Cosmo Sapien resting his hands in his lap, head bowed as he cringed, his voice quiet and contemplative.

"But what if there's nothing?..."

...

...

...

... "He can be reached?" Twilight Sparkle murmured softly, resting her head on her hooves, brow furrowed as she and the rest of her friends sat around the circular table in the castle, brow furrowed. "...he's clearly suffering from genuine survivor's guilt. Near-crippling guilt."

"So if we can't hit his head...we could hit his heart?" Spike asked, scratching his head as the others all looked around at each other, Fluttershy nodding slightly.

"Good on you for finding that out, Fluttershy! Really smart." Rainbow Dash said cheerily, patting Fluttershy on her back, cringing, her arm STILL not fully healed as Fluttershy nervously blushed.

"Thank you." She shyly murmured, biting her lip...

Not entirely willing to admit that...looking into his eyes, seeing his pain, seeing his suffering, seeing him bear his soul...she'd realized something.

She had truly felt for him. More than just pity. More than just sympathy. Looking into the eyes of the person who was willing and able to eat her and her friends alive, she had felt something spark inside her.

And it felt very much like love.


	4. The Twilight Hour

  
**Author's Note:**

**Warning: This chapter, just like the chapters before AND after, contains VERY mature, adult material, including sex,  voraphilia (aka vore) of both the oral/soft and cock/sheath variety. If the latter disturbs you, I recommend you read ahead to the "he doesn't catch her" ending contained within this chapter. And remember, don't be afraid to leave feedback. I'll never improve without proper feedback, nor will I know what you, the audience, enjoys without feedback. Don't be afraid to comment.**

* * *

 

It had taken many, many hours of careful consideration, many hours of sitting alone in the dark of the hall as sunlight softly filtered in through stained-glass windows, dust motes flittering about their heads, but they'd decided. They'd made their decision. The heroines of Equestria had a plan to contend with the Huntsman. They would rise to his challenge and defeat him.

"Twilight, y'all sure you wanna do this?" Applejack inquired, Twilight Sparkle making her way out of their hall, the people of Ponyville waiting outside for her decision as the Princess of Ponyville gave her dear friend a simple, firm nod.

"She can take him ,with a little help from her friends." Rainbow Dash insisted, looking down at her still slightly-sore arms, flinching a bit as Fluttershy tenderly put a hoof upon her shoulder and gave her a comforting pat, Dash smiling in appreciation as they pushed the double-doors to Twilight's castle open, the light of the sun cascading down upon their faces as Pinkie breathed in deep, sighing wistfully.

"Good morning to you, good morning to you! We're all in our places with sunshiney faces!" She proclaimed, spreading her arms wide as the people of Ponyville all raised respective eyebrows at this. "We've got great news! Twilight's got a plan!"

"Oh! Well, that's a relief." Mrs. Cake admitted, her husband nodding in agreement as Apple Bloom walked over to her sister, gently holding one hoof as she looked up into her eyes, worry etched into her youthful face.

"We were so worried aboutcha, sis. Y'all been inside that castle for days now, and we were worried you might not ever come out!" She whimpered, Applejack rubbing her sister's head, giving her a little smile.

"Y'all don't gotta worry no more. Twilight can handle the Huntsman. She's got a real good plan."

"Where IS the Huntsman, pray tell?" Rarity inquired, rubbing her chin as she glanced about, looking around at the faces of the Ponyville townsfolk, some of them nervously rubbing the backs of their neck before, at last, everyone slowly stepped aside and pointed in the direction of the diner. Rarity GAPED in surprise, seeing a small horde of hooded ponies were all gathered around the diner, waving their hooves in the air, chanting in ominous tones. Rarity approached the odd mob, her friends following after as Spike trotted alongside her, sniffing the air. "What is it, Spike?"

"Is that Barbeque Sauce I smell?" He muttered, one of the hooded ponies taking their hood off, their faces having tribal markings etched upon them made up of, sure enough. barbeque sauce.

"We are your loyal servants! For you, oh Horned One! Our vile, unworthy blood for you! Drink me! Driiiiink meeeee!" The cultist proclaimed, holding his hooves up in the air, his wrists leaking blood as the Huntsman strode out of the diner, sighing a bit as he turned to look at Twilight, shrugging slightly.

"They showed up a day ago. You know you've truly made it when you have a cult worshiping you." He admitted, lifting the cultist with the slashed wrist up with a single hand. "I couldn't very well say "no"."

"Oh, I think you COULD!" Spike squeaked out, the cultists all kneeling down around the Huntsman, then raising their hooves up in the air, slowly bringing the hooves back down in continuous worship as the licked the cheek of the "offering". "How many have you eaten, I mean-wait. Wait, just gotta ask this!” The little purple dragon held up a hand, cringing a bit. "They haven't, well, offered any babies, have they? Because I've heard cultists like to do that."

"You know, I've heard a few people in this town saying I probably eat babies." The Huntsman growled a bit, glancing over in the direction of the town's residents as some of them immediately looked away, nonchalantly whistling. "I shall not name names, Big Mac. Because finger pointing, Big Mac, gets us nowhere. Don't you agree, BIG MAC!?"

“...yup." Big Mac growled out through gritted teeth, immediately putting himself between Apple Jack and Apple Bloom, eyes glaring balefully.

"I'll have you know I do not eat babies. I eat toddlers." The Huntsman remarked, everybody instantly gaping, shrieking or gasping in surprise before the Huntsman let off a toothy grin. "That was a joke."

"I think Mrs. Cake is having a heart attack!" Sweetie Belle cried out, Mr. Cake trying to resuscitate her as the Huntsman turned to look at Twilight, raising an invisible eyebrow up, Pinkie Pie waving a Cherry pie of her own in front of Mrs.Cake's nostrils to rouse her. Where did she even get that cherry pie, you may inquire?

Let's be honest, you're better off not knowing.

"Have you decided who will challenge me? Who will become my prey to be hunted? Be the hope of this world?" The Huntsman asked of Twilight Sparkle.

"True salvation lies within the pit of the Horned One's belly!" The cultist in his hand proclaimed dramatically, the Huntsman cringing.

"And can we hurry this up? He's getting "Stale"."

"I shall be your opponent. You know, pray tell, of the abandoned castle in the Everfree forest? Former home of my mentors?" Twilight asked of the Huntsman, gesturing over in the direction of the enchanted woods with a single hoof, giving the Huntsman a firm glare. "That's where I shall be waiting for you,and I won't hold back one iota."

"I wouldn't ask you to." The Huntsman mused, waving a hand in the air. "Now, if you'll excuse me!” He remarked, turning to the cultist in his hand. "I should get to my breakfast. It IS the most important meal of the day." The Huntsman said as he headed back inside the diner.

Twilight Sparkle readied the cauldron, taking in a deep breath to inhale the fumes rising up from its depths, the zebra by her side giving her a thoughtful nod, her mohawked hair flopping slightly. "I've not done this before. Is it supposed to smell like, well, like death?" She asked of Zecora the Zebra, the forest-dwelling shaman giving her a nod as she took off the gold hoops from her ears, carefully opening them up, revealing what lay within their hollow interior: a sparkling, shining collection of dust that drifted down into the pot, making it puff up as Twilight rubbed her hooves together in joy. "That looks promising!"

"This spell will help to animate the statues in this fortress keep. We have cause to celebrate, but miles to go before we sleep. Help me to add this flower's bloom to bring about the Huntsman's doom." Zecora asked of Twilight, the alicorn nodding as she trotted across the kitchen floor past cracked dark tiles and to the shelves upon the walls, opening up a jar and getting out small, shriveled little red flowers which she popped into the cauldron.

With a crash like thunder, the cauldron shook, and then wafts of smoke rose out of the tub, swiftly moving out of the kitchen and snaking through the halls like serpents on the prowl, shooting into collections of armor, various statues and piles of rubble lying about on the floor, Twilight smiling with relief.

"We're ready. Let "Team B" get in position." Twilight asked of Zecora, who gave her a cheery smile and bowed deeply.

"Your plan is clever, dearest friend. Soon all our fears will reach their end. I shall alert the other two of three and see if they are now ready."

"I'd love to respond with a bit of rhyming, but you know me,such awful timing." Twilight admitted with a small giggle, Zecora smiling at this and trotting off as Twilight bolted from the kitchen to race up the nearest flight of stairs, past torn and patchworked banners to finally reach the highest ramparts of the castle. She stood atop the tallest tower, a single flag banner flying high behind her as she peered out with a set of binoculars, looking down the forest path. There he was, alright, the Huntsman and his hunting spear slinking through the forest, hiding behind a tree-

No, wait, now he was gone. Hmm. For something big and black and seemingly hard to see, he was remarkably swift and stealthy, using the cover of the trees and the shadows to hide himself from her sight. But the only way inside the castle was a large rope she'd had, of course,

Magically boobytrapped.

As the Huntsman made his way across the bridge, Twilight focused her horn, eyes narrowing a bit as a pinkish bolt shot up from the end of the bridge on which the castle lay. The Huntsman blinked in surprise, the rope snapping as he grabbed hold of the edge as hard as he could, being slammed against the cliffside with a grunt, dragging himself up on the rope as he looked up at the castle, seeing Twilight at the tippy top.

"Very funny." He called out, turning around and walking off a few yards, Twilight suddenly realizing what he was about to do as he swiftly bolted towards the cliff, then bounded over, landing on the opposite side with a THUNKA-THUD, dusting himself off as he briefly glanced down the clifface. "Hmm. Sharp rocks at the bottom and everything. Of course, you knew that couldn't possibly have-" He began to say before taking a step forward on the path to the castle,

SHRUKKA-THROOOOOM! The ground exploded outward, nearly sending him flying right off the cliff as he reeled back, panting and heaving as Twilight calmly folded her hooves before her chest, the Huntsman sniffing the ground as the chunks of earth and road that had been sent flying all around finally flopped to the earth. "Explosives in the ground. You planted mines, did you? All along the road?"

Twilight just calmly whistled atop the ramparts, leisurely leaning against one of the tower's rails, bobbing her head back and forth, singing an oddly, familiar song. ** _"I used to wonder what friendship could be!"_**

"Ha-HA." The Huntsman grunted out, digging up the remains of the mine that had exploded and holding it in his hands, looking it over as his eyes narrowed in interest. It was a flat, circular thing, a tiny little red button in the center pressed in and heavily cracked by the explosion, much like the rest of the mine. He sniffed it, tasting it with his blue tongue before turning to look at the road. "Based on the design and the scent of the explosive, you used heat-seeking and heavy pressure timers. A mine built for someone of large size like myself!” He muttered. "I recognize this brand, Twilight Sparkle!" He yelled in her direction. "Five hundred years ago a mechanic tried the very same tack you did here. The same kind of explosive sedimentary rock!"

Twilight rubbed her chin. She HAD gotten the new element she'd used in this explosive from an asteroid that had landed several years back, part of a shower that had struck at the outskirts of town. Wasn't too hard to imagine the same material had landed on other worlds, but,to think this being's senses were so good they could distinguish like this, knowing the difference between mere rocks and high explosive?

"Pinkie's friend Maud would probably find your abilities fascinating." She remarked atop the castle tower, the Huntsman chuckling as he began swerving around the road, making his way towards the castle. "She's all about rocks."

"Princess Luna once buried me under a rock slide. It took me hours to dig myself out because of my gammy leg." He admitted, finally bolting for the entrance of the castle as Twilight looked down at him entering the courtyard. "It says a lot about me that I can distinguish different rock types by taste."

"You need a better hobby. I recommend reading." Twilight mused. "For example, I learned this faaascinating spell from a book in this very castle. You might have heard of it. It's known as "Animation”. Motion to the motionless?"

An enormous, bulky set of living armor barreled out of a nearby wall, the Huntsman wheeling around, ducking to avoid a sweep of its axe as its comrades all filed out, swinging swords and axes as Twilight held her hooves aloft, swinging them back and forth as if to direct them, cheerily whistling as the Huntsman struck back at the living armors. He swung his spear/staff as it slammed into armor after armor, a satisfying THRUKKA-CHACK noise ringing through the air,

Well, satisfying to Twillight. It clearly wasn't doing much. You could whack a zombie over the head. Crack its skull. The zombie wasn't going to care, and neither was this living armor. The Huntsman frowned, realizing quickly he was being overwhelmed and surrounded, ducking and swerving about to avoid strikes from the living armor. Their blades slashed through the air, narrowly cutting through his deep, dark body as his pale blue eyes glistened angrily, axes narrowly embedding in his skull as he dipped underneath to avoid potentially fatal blows.

This would indeed be a challenge, but the Huntsman wasn't unprepared, holding his spear up he focused his energy through it, the tip end firing off a potent, sizzling blast of bright blue energy that obliterated the set of living pony armor next to him, chunks of it flying through the air, dissipating into nothingness to keep Twilight from simply reviving the armor anew as he then ducked down and swung, sweeping all of the other living armor sets around him off their feet.

The Huntsman leapt up through the air, swiftly bounding to the top of a pile of nearby rubble, holding his staff up and blasting away at the living armor sets as Twilight quickly realized she needed a new plan of attack, slinking down into the ramparts as the Huntsman fired again and again, the Living Armor sets being dissolved with every single blast from his spear. At last he lowered it, his work finished as he turned to look in the direction of the tower Twilight had been in, sniffing at the air. "I have your scent!” He whispered, swiftly moving into the nearby door, slinking along the dark hallway as his eyes slightly glowed. His clawed raked against the cold brick walls, the air hot and thick and heavy as he licked his fanged maw. "You shan't escape me."

 

* * *

 

Twilight barreled down the hallway, heading for the library of the castle as she heard the Huntsman's claws echoing out through the air, making a horrifying screeching noise as they grew closer, closer. But she couldn't tell which direction he was coming from,

It didn't matter. She had to stall. Twilight stood in the back of the room, glancing left and right at every entrance, her horn glowing a faint purple color as the alicorn readied herself, the Huntsman's form emerging from the west side, standing tall and proud as he held up his spear, aiming it at her. "Are you really going to try and duel me head-on like-" He asked, clearly astounded.

Twilight's horn sparked, and a burning wave of purplish flames shot forth, the Huntsman batting it to the side as it slammed into the wall, chunks flying about as she fired again, the Huntsman simply ducking to avoid the strike, then Twilight focused her horn as the long tables in the room floated up into the air and barreled right at the alien hunter. He "eeped”... ducking to avoid the first one, the second slamming him into the wall, Twilight happily grinning, until he ripped it off his body and shot at her with his staff.

Twilight rolled away, focusing her horn anew as the chairs in the room soared at him, the Huntsman folding his arms across his chest, eyes narrowed as they all sunk into his body over and over again as if being tossed into a pit of mud, Twilight Sparkle cringing. "Of course, if you know what to expect, you can prepare for it!”

"You really can't expect to defeat me when I'm ready for-" He began to say before stepping forward.

THRAKKA-BOOOOOM! With a howl he was launched up, up through the air, his head slamming right through the ceiling, the rest of his body sticking out the bottom as he hung limp in the air like a noodle, slightly twitching for a few moments before Twilight giggled.

"You stuck a mine. In the middle. Of a library." She heard his head growl out from the floor above her, Twilight nonchalantly trotting off for the nearest exit.

"Well, you know what they say! In a **head-to-head** competition, the one with the most brains wins!" She proclaimed, before the ceiling shattered, chunks of it flying through the air, Twilight ducking away to avoid being struck as the Huntsman fell to the floor, then bounded at her, Twilight barely managing to roll away as she raced down the hall, the alien hunter racing after her, Twilight panting and heaving as sweat began to pop up on her brow.

Where were they? Why weren't they here by now? Surely they should have arrived at the castle-

**CAUGHT ENDING**

Unfortunately Twilight's thought process was interrupted as the Huntsman's claws grabbed hold of her tail, yanking her back, his other fist held high as he brought it down on her head.

A single blow and she was knocked to the ground, the Huntsman standing over her as she moaned in pain, his clawed hands turning her over on her back as he looked her over.

"You, student of Celestia, had some very clever tricks and spells. Unfortunately, despite the home-team advantage, it's just not enough." He admitted, kneeling down, pinning her to the ground. "Your mentor Celestia was quite skilled as well. I greatly admired her magical abilities." He added as he inhaled Twilight's scent. "And just like her, you too also have quite a pleasant scent."  The Huntsman admitted as he stroked her cheek, Twilight gulping a bit in fear. "It'll be an honor to take in one so talented and lovely into me. Take comfort, little one!” He cooed as he caressed her form. "You'll enjoy every moment."

"Are-are you going to cook me like you did Blueblood?" She whimpered in fear, the Huntsman shaking his head back and forth as he reached down and wiped a tear away from her cheek.

"No. I've a kinder fate in store for you." He intoned as he lifted her up and she looked down at what was now emerging from his crotch, between his thighs was now an enormous manhood, which he now rested her head against as an odd, musky, enticing scent began to emerge from the odd liquid faintly drooling out the tip of his cock. "Will you drink of it?" He asked of her. "I won't make you, but, you'll quite like the taste. Give it a try."

Twilight knew what sex was, of course, knew what seed was, knew what THIS was, she should say no. Of COURSE she should say no, but,but the scent was so _intoxicating_ ,her curiosity got the best of her and she leaned in, licking the liquid and was delighted at how wonderful it tasted. It was musky, a little spicy, a play of salty and sweet dancing on her tastebuds as an afterthought, this lovely taste beginning to warm her from the insides as well, like a trickle of hot lead pouring into her and giving her fresh vitality. She began to drink of it, the Huntsman gently stroking her head. He didn't even need to demand she do anything, she was clearly loving the taste just as so many others had. Her lips gently latched onto the tip of his firm cock, her tongue trailing over the slit over and over again to coax more of the warm, revitalizing drool from within its depths.

He hissed and murred a little, the little purple alicorn's temperature starting to make her body swell with lusty heat the more she drank of his fertile fluids.  The solid length of veiny alien cock swelled a little bigger, straining against the girl's hooves and lips as she continued to nurse from it like a hungry whelp. Suddenly her muzzle slipped right into the wide cumslit, making the big horned alien groan in pleasure as a familiar gurgle from his balls reminded him about one of his many hungers.  He sighed blissfully as Twilight began easing more of her  face right inside his tip. More! She wanted to be inside. It felt so warm and inviting and comforting, this feel upon her face, her little indigo head sliding all the way inside, her horn briefly grinding against the inside of his urethral bulge in the most delightful way.  So delightfully that his member spurted wave after wave of hot precum against the intruding alicorn, lubricating her for a quicker descent, which was fine with her, her cheery murrs indicating she was enjoying it.

It wasn't often that the Huntsman managed to find a meal so willing or eager to please.  He didn't even need to flex those internal muscles to draw his prey within, simply relaxing his length and letting the little alicorn do all the work.  He groaned occasionally whenever she moved, pleasure spiking through the roof when her smooth form slithered into his dark python of man meat more and more.

He watched her form wriggling half within his enormous, hungry cock, making the Huntsman growl softly with each motion that her squirming body had to offer him.  She started to have a little trouble when her form finally pressed in all the way up to her hips and hindlegs.  The hot space of the Huntsman's urethra was definitely roomy enough to devour sizable meals whole, but it would still require her to tuck her legs in straight for them to glide downward as well.

"Would you like some help, my little pony?" The Huntsman inquired, Twilight shuddering in delight as she felt his clawed hands envelop her thighs.

“...yes, please." She admitted. "It feels so NICE in here, I,I want to be fully inside. It's so fascinating, so HUGE. Bigger on the inside than the outside."

"I AM a living galaxy." He said, pressing her thighs inward as well with a sigh. He did feel somewhat bad watching the alicorn's lower legs slithering into his loins,  following the rest of her form that was buried deeper.  Poor thing. She'd only wanted to keep her people safe, her friends safe. Still, he'd make it up to her. He hadn't gotten to where he was by being cruel to the undeserving.

Though that thought left his mind when he felt her head slip deeper into his groin, her horn feeling incredible against the insides of his sensitive ducts, and especially as she started to push into his big ole prostate. He let his bulging member rest on the ground between his legs as his prostate filled with her form.  Twilight was now all cozy inside the Huntsman's flesh, curling up in that larger-than-natural gland that his kind so often had considering how frequently they enjoyed THIS kind of unique meal.  The lower part of his paunch bulged into a firm rounded form, and the Huntsman rubbed over it gently, feeling her form curl up tight as could be within, perhaps she was even dozing off, it was hard to tell.

Inside, Twilight was in a pool of thick, delicious liquid that was warm to the touch, sweet and succulent, the walls soft and inviting as she nuzzled up against it, moaning happily. She just wanted to sink deeper into his blissful warmth, feeling what felt like many arms tenderly wrapping around her, comforting her form. She was becoming altered, she knew, entering the conversion process, her form was sinking into the deep pool to be broken down into seed like so many other prey, all pleasurable sacrifices for the Huntsman. Mercifully though, as he'd promised, she was enjoying it. Each stage of the process was just as unique and pleasurable as the next, and Twilight relaxed, letting herself enjoy them all.

It was deeply pleasurable for the Huntsman as well, beginning with a gentle pulsating sensation deep within his groin, as if his gland were squeezing around Twilight tightly, being sure that every soft, furry inch of her body was tucked in tightly enough.  The pulsation was met with a warming, as if his veins were gently feeding fire to the flesh surrounding her, heating her up slowly.

His member throbbed even more firmly as the pleasurable fire mounted and he could feel his prostate beginning to melt her down with the pool of seed she'd welcomed herself into, secreting the special precum and other fluids that would coax the genetics right out of her form in the form of individual sperm. So much genetic material, a worthy sacrifice not merely of youthful female potential, but MAGICAL potential as well. Billions, trillions of people in the galaxy his body was would benefit from her sacrifice as she was collected into the  hot viscous pool she'd willingly joined.  Minutes passed, and the Huntsman could feel her former body expire gently inside his prostate, her form dissolving in a liquid gurgle until she was nothing more than a huge load.

He hissed softly as he let her out of that temporary place of change and holding and down into his balls.  His other hand groped over them both in turn as they swelled with new seed, filled with potency that he'd taken from her as he looked up, Celestia and Luna approaching with a zebra by their side. Celestia could see his full sack, quickly realizing what had occurred.

“...oh, Twilight!” She murmured, covering her face with one hoof, tears beginning to well in her eyes. "I'm so sorry!” She whispered, Luna putting a comforting hoof upon her side as Zecora bowed her head in sorrow. "So, so, sorry."

"Don't cry. She didn't feel any pain." The Huntsman offered, standing up as he displayed his assets. "And I was hoping you'd appear here. I wish to offer up a counter-proposal." He admitted. "Your student lost. I would eat my fill of your race now, but out of respect for you and for her,” He added as he rubbed his sack. “...become my mate." He asked of her. "Give Twilight new life as your child and make me your king. I'll demand only an occasional sacrifice of those that break the law, and will protect your kingdom from those that would seek to harm it. I've been able to put off my desire to binge thanks to a lovely new cult that's sprung up, I can wait a few more days for you to establish a new order."

Celestia looked down at the Huntsman's crotch, thinking of Twilight, thinking of her people. She knew they couldn't possibly beat him in a straight-on fight, and she wanted to protect her student, the child she'd never had,

"I'll be a good father to her. And you'll be a wonderful mother." The Huntsman insisted gently, approaching Celestia, caressing her cheek, looking deep and lovingly into her eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

“...yes." Celestia whispered, the Huntsman kissing her on the lips, Celestia lying on her back as Luna and Zecora stepped away. "Luna, head to Canterlot. Ready the papers. We've much to do. Zecora, let…let Twilight's friends know of her sacrifice. They deserve to understand." She murmured, feeling the Huntsman's shaft sliding down her pubic mound and rubbing against her pussy lips as it eased itself into her.

In and out, in and out, his manhood slid into her pussy.  He didn't have to force this on her. She was spreading her legs as wide apart as she could to give the Huntsman better access.  She wanted him to mate her, thinking of Twilight, wanting to give her a new life. He began to thrust more powerfully into her, his shaft sliding in smoothly and fluidly from the earlier "action" he'd been able to enjoy, Celestia wrapping her arms around his neck as the Huntsman let out a wistful sigh.

Their forms violently quivered in delight, the Huntsman beginning to pump his potent load into Celestia's womb, his shaft sliding in as far as he could, each new burst of seed making Celestia's belly swell more and more, bigger and bigger, her womb taking it all in. Her pussy was leaking its own juices, Celestia feeling a deep sense of relief and comfort, his potent seed providing the same lovely aphrodisac feeling that Blueblood had enjoyed.   Her body was gleaming from the coat of sweat that now covered her as she lay there, heavily breathing, the Huntsman continuing to empty his payload of life into her womb, Celestia now looking freshly pregnant as she leaned back and relaxed, the Huntsman finishing as he laid down next to her, stroking her cheek.

"She'll be a wonderful daughter." The Huntsman crooned, kissing Celestia on the cheek. "I knew when I saw you how deeply I admired you. My heart was moved by your beauty. Your grace, your symmetry. Thank you for giving me this chance."

Celestia rested a hoof on her belly, feeling it jiggle slightly, looking positively bloated as she turned to look into the Huntsman's soft blue eyes. "Thank you for giving me Twilight back." She murmured, resting her head in his chest as he held her tightly, nuzzling up against her.

Within a few days, the work was done, and the Huntsman was now part of the ruling class of Equestria. A three-strike punishment was implemented for crime, and though, for the most part, it kept everyone in line there were, still always a steady supply of sacrifices for the Huntsman to enjoy. Not merely because there were always SOME idiots that broke the law despite the consequences, but that annoying cult had actually begun to grow when Twilight had been birthed anew, now a beautiful, dazzling shade of deep indigo-blue like the sky at sunset, stars twinkling across her form. A lovely new little filly whom the cult called a savior of Equestria. She had her mother's eyes, and her father's hunger.

Luckily though, she also had Twilight's memories and personality, and was soon back in Ponyville. It would take some, getting used to, but still, she was growing quickly to maturity like Cosmo Sapiens did, and still an alicorn princess. She would be fair in ruling over Ponyville, and in time, her friends and fellow Ponyville residents would come to accept her new diet. It helped that because she was only HALF Cosmo-Sapien that she didn't need to eat as much as her father, and only needed living beings once a year.

"Thank you so much." Twilight Sparkle cheerily remarked, putting a hoof on her chest and beaming with faint embarrassment and happiness as the cultists bowed their heads, their new offering gleefully kneeling down before her, apple in his mouth, body covered in frosting as Pinkie Pie stepped back, bowing her head as well, her hood briefly slipping down over her ears.

"Woops! Sorry!" She said, putting it right back up. "I remembered that you like chocolate." She said, her sacrifice nodding in agreement. "So I slathered a lot onto Gum Drop. You don't mind?"

"No, I'm flattered!" Twilight said, picking up Gum Drop the cultist, thrusting his r head up into her mouth, and slowly beginning to swallow. As she swallowed, she could feel the bulge Gum Drop was making in her throat, murring happily as her belly began to extend. More and more of the powerful muscles of her esophogus pulled the pony cultist down into her stomach and after a few minutes, she had swallowed him up to his hooves, and with one final gulp, Twilight had completely gotten him down. Inside, the cultist rubbed up against her belly walls, sighing wistfully as Pinkie Pie felt the outside, giggling a bit.

"Oooh! Jiggly!"

"Not quite as tasty as the Ursa Minor from last year, but,I loved it, Pinkie. Thank you. Thank you all." Twilight admitted with a deep bow of her head, letting out a soft burp and heading for the Everfree. She had work to do, after all,the castle was still in shambles from the fight and if she was going to turn it into a proper museum for future generations to enjoy,

The work of a librarian, and a princess, was never done.

**SUCCESS ENDING**

"Well, you know what they say! In a **head-to-head** competition, the one with the most brains wins!" She proclaimed, before the ceiling shattered, chunks of it flying through the air, Twilight ducking away to avoid being struck as the Huntsman fell to the floor, then bounded at her, Twilight barely managing to roll away as she raced down the hall, the alien hunter racing after her, Twilight panting and heaving as sweat began to pop up on her brow.

Where were they? Why weren't they here by now? Surely they should have arrived at the castle,

Ah-HA. She felt the air buzz with magical power and she inwardly grinned, a second wind pulsing through her as she barreled down the hallway, the Huntsman racing after her as she turned the corner and he bolted out-

Just as two respective beams of incredible magical power slammed into him from both sides, Princess Celestia on his left, Princess Luna on his right, the Huntsman howling in agony, white and black cascading into his form as Twilight flew up onto a chandelier high above the main hall, shaking it back and forth, back and forth, Zecora giving her a nod from the nearby doorway.

With a loud KRA-KRAKKK, the chandelier came flying off as Twilight forced it down onto the Huntsman, Celestia and Luna leaping away in time as it shot through the air and into him, breaking the hallway opening apart, the floor collapsing beneath him, the alien hunter falling down, down, down with a loud, anguished cry,

With a thunderous crack, he finally hit rock bottom, Zecora watching the three alicorns slowly descend into the dark depths below, a river underneath the castle cascading soft water as the Huntsman moaned in agony, pinned beneath the wreckage of the chandelier, a stalagmite sticking just past his head,

For a brief moment, Twilight, Celestia and Luna's faces were filled with fear. Had it not worked? They'd poured everything at him in that sneak attack and had caught him off guard, was that still not-

No. Wait. He rose back up, shoving the chandelier's remains to the side, panting and heaving, flinching a bit as he turned around to look up at their faces, spitting out a crystal from his mouth and rubbing his jaw before slowly turning around, gesturing at his back.

"Ewwww." Twilight moaned, cringing as she looked at him. It was as if his back had been turned into an acupuncture patient. Pieces of crystal were sticking out of him like a pincushion, and, unmistakably, what was clearly blood was dribbling out from the wounds in his back.

"They don't make magical diamond chandeliers like those anymore." Luna admitted. "We had those fine gems crafted from freshly-landed asteroids many years ago. You remember I almost took thy head off with one?"

"Yes, and I got to meet their cousins earlier today. The ones with explosive personalities." The Huntsman muttered as he cringed, turning back around and shrugging slightly. "I must say, that was quite a show, Twilight Sparkle of Equestria! QUITE the show. You did all that just to stall me and wear me down until they appeared?"

"I figured a two-pronged,really three-pronged attack could work. Soften your defenses, and it would appear I was right!" Twilight admitted as she touched down by him along with Luna and Celestia, Twilight rubbing the back of her neck and nervously cringing. "Though it looks like I really did quite the number on your castle, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna. I'm so, so sorry."

"They're just things. They can be replaced, Twilight." Celestia intoned softly, gently putting a hoof on Twilight's head. "But you can't. I didn't want to lose you. You're very precious to me."

"I can tell." The Huntsman admitted, getting to one knee, bowing his head. "I have lost. So I offer you my utter submission. What would you have of me? According to the rules, you're free to ask me to accomplish any task, impart any wisdom you desire. Do anyTHING. What is your will?"

“...I'd like to know more about your species." Twilight admitted softly. "I think you could be a force for great good in this world. You just need to be focused in the right way. And maybe I could find a way to keep you from needing to y'know, actually kill people to satisfy your hunger?"

"I've had others make the offer, Twilight." The Huntsman murmured, Twilight gently putting a hand on his shoulder as his head slowly rose up, and he saw the kindness in her eyes.

"I’m not them, and I believe you could be a wonderful ally to Equestria. You could keep it safe from great danger, maybe even be a friend. You were really, really chivalrous to us, after all." She admitted. "So? What do you say?"

“…Neh-Buh-Loh."

"What?"

The Cosmo Sapien smiled. "My name is Neh-Buh-Loh. Friends should know each other's names right?"

 

* * *

 

It would take some getting used to, but, all things considered, it wasn't such a bad arrangement.

It had taken a full year of research, testing and experiments, several of which involved Twilight trying to stick things into him. And then, of course, there'd been her needing to take a skin sample,

She should have specified WHERE before he so happily volunteered.

Nevertheless, at long last, she'd uncovered a way for him to enjoy eating sentient beings whole without needing to absorb/digest them. He could temporarily hold them in his stomach as he was now going to do with Fluttershy, just like she'd had done to her before, and slightly leech off their tantric energy instead of simply breaking them down like before. It required him to ingest a special potion that fiddled with his body's stomach enzymes and a great deal of concentration and care, but it worked.

Now being food for the Huntsman wasn't so scary. In fact, many of the residents didn't mind spending a night, or a day, or a week, inside his stomach. Fluttershy included. He'd proven to be one of the sweetest and nicest people she'd ever met, and he  was always overjoyed when she let him indulge himself with her.

"I love it when you and I can spend some quality time together!” The Huntsman cooed, lifting Fluttershy up off the ground at her cottage, Angel breathing a sigh of relief, the little bunny thankful it wasn't HIM getting nommed as the Huntsman totally engulfed her head with his mouth. Neh-Buh-Loh took hold of her back legs, lifting Fluttershy into the air, swallowing more and more of her with each gulp, enjoying this tasty treat.

Fluttershy sighed wistfully as she traveled down his body. It was, like before, getting darker each time he got farther down her throat, eventually reached the meaty empty-place that was his belly's pit. It was slightly difficult sometimes, trying to move her body in the right position at first so it wouldn't be uncomfortable, and normally when you have little room to spare and being forced into such a space, trying to keep a comfortable position for a few hours was taxing on the body. But she knew very well she'd be comfortable once she got settled down, and at last, the Huntsman ahd finally swallowed her whole, feeling Fluttershy slowly go down his throat and move inside his stomach, the soft walls massaging her body as he let off a soft burp and rubbed his full belly, feeling her move around inside him, resting against the walls of his stomach to get comfy.

"No matter how many times I eat you, you'll always know how to make me feel warm and full inside." He admitted to her. "Oh, I love you, Fluttershy." He cooed.

She gently embraced the inside of his belly, nuzzling up against her lover, hearing the soft beating of his heart and feeling his touch. "I love you too!”

Truly, there was no greater way to be closer to the one you loved. Well, perhaps a few. But few quite this, INTIMATE.

And _jiggly_.

"Pinkie!"

"Hee-hee!"

"Now you STOP that!"


	5. Spike and Rarity: Burning Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be forewarned! THIS chapter features not just oral/soft vore but the horrific evisceration of another, leading to hard vore. Dirty, violent hard vore. Not to mention more sex. There will be, of course, two endings for this chapter as well, and once more, I implore you to not be afraid to leave feedback. What you liked, what you didn't, all so I can try and take it into account and use it to improve my writing.

Putting together a plan to combat the Huntsman would not be easy in the slightest. After all, a head-on attack would be disastrous. Especially for Rarity, who had volunteered herself and Spike to come up with the proper stratagem. As talented as Rarity was, Spike knew that she was not the best fighter. Not that she was above fisticuffs. She simply wasn’t quite as skilled with such things as Rainbow Dash or Applejack.

No, her skill laid in how clever, cunning and intelligent she was, and she’d already begun formulating a scheme to contend with the Huntsman. A scheme that had begun when she’d really, truly taken a good look at how Spike had grown over the past year.

Spike was hitting draconic puberty, having grown a foot and becoming slightly more, well, developed in his features. He now looked less like a little baby and, well older! Older in the right ways. Gently handing Rarity a scroll, the light from a stained glass window illuminating the back of his crested head, the purple-haired unicorn had to admit, he looked quite distinguished, all things considered.  Growing through puberty hadn’t been easy, though. Nobody knew how to handle Spike when he went through unexpected fire-belching spells-

_“ALL IS LOST! ALL IS LOST!” The long-suffering Mayor screeched out, tugging at her hair and wailing as burning green flames rising up into the early morning skies continued to torch the town hall, the local diner, three houses and the bakery as ponies scrambled left and right in a panic, struggling to pour water onto the fire. Spike nervously rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly at Twilight as Pinkie Pie played on an accordion as she sat atop a stump, Rarity hovering a large bucket of water as the Applejack family helped the fire department as best they could._

_“Pinkie!” Applejack yelled out in Pinkie’s direction as they aimed the hose at the town hall, the farmer glaring angrily in her friend’s direction for the insensitive choice of song. Specifically-_

_“I can’t help it! It’s a hot time in the old town tonight!” Pinkie proclaimed, sticking her tongue out and bobbing her head back and forth._

_“Ask if she knows “gagged and bound”…” Rarity muttered dryly. “Or perhaps the “Sound of Silence”?!” She hissed out as Spike cringed, the town hall’s roof collapsing inward._

_“How about this?” Pinkie inquired cheerily as he held aloft the accordion and took a deep breath in one an attached harmonica. “Ohhh when I’m gone, won’tcha bury me deep? CUZ THERE’S WOLVERINES REPORTED IN THE AREAAAA!”_

_“The accordion dies tonight.” Twilight swore, holding Spike up by the tail with one end, his head by the other like a flamethrower. Ready…aim…_

Things such as this was why Spike had considered and finally agreed to spend some time with the dragons. Thanfully, scary as dragons were, there were some who’d been considerate enough to help Spike get through the worst of the puberty. It had involved several lava baths, an IMMENSE amount of gem-snacking…and then several sudden growth spurts. Seeing a mountain EXPLODE as Spike emerged from it had made the denizens of Ponyville grateful he’d decided to work through his issues outside of town. Then, after rampaging around the mountain range five miles from town for about three straight hours, he’d finally begun shrinking down to a “normal” enough size, calmed and ready to return.

And had returned looking…well…once before he’d had “puppies”. Now they were looking more like dogs.

Rarity looked into Spike’s green eyes as he handed her the scroll and he blushed, Rarity blushing in return. It wasn’t like she’d never **thought** about intercourse with him. I mean, ever since he’d told her of his feelings she’d known for quite some time and had something deep in her for him. Yet now that feeling was bubbling up more and more every day.

What could she say to him? How could she even begin-

Focus. She had to focus. She looked the scroll over, rubbing her chin. It was a historical record of what had happened a hundred years ago when the Huntsman had arrived after being delayed for personal reasons for many a century. His fruitless searches for his sister had evidently yielded zip. But when he’d come here 100 years ago he’d also not been able to find Celetia before the Changelings had found him. Along with, interestingly, a few dragons, according to the reports that Celestia’s scouts had taken down…and, supposedly, they’d given him something of a hard time before he’d finally killed them.

This gave her an idea. If just a few dragons could be so much of a nuisance, what could a large horde do? And after all, there was a city’s worth of dragons far, far up in the mountains that Spike had stayed with. If they could somehow get the draconian destroyers to do their dirty work for them…have Spike try to appeal to their pride, their sense of “I must be the apex predator” that so many had, things might work out.

Dragons were, after all, quite greedy and rather selfish beasts. They often placed incredible value on material things and on petty caprice, on winning through violence and powerful displays…though many, deep down, were also big softies, according to Spike. There were potential allies to be made.

“We’re sure this is the best idea?” Twilight asked of Rarity as Rarity took off the small reading glasses she’d had on and put them away with a sigh.

“No, not the “best” idea, but the most unconventional I could think of which would have a chance. We need to think outside the box, be daring and bold…this definitely fits that bill, my dear.” She insisted, the unicorn putting a hoof on her chest. “Spike, do you believe you can convince dragons in the city of Hearthstone to fight the Huntsman?”

“Yeah, if I frame it right. Especially if I can find some of these poor guy’s sons and daughters.” Spike added, looking down at the scroll’s bottom and cringing. “I mean, geez. This is just basic info they stuck in, but yikes! I wouldn’t wish this on even Crackle, and he eats babies!”

“YECCH.” Rarity cringed in disgust.

“…well, actually, not entirely true. He eats toddlers.” Spike apologized.

“It’s kinda ironic they got cooked and eaten. Y’know. Cuz they’re dragons.” Pinkie admitted.

“Yeah! I get it!” Spike moaned, gulping nervously.

“Like Blueblood!”

“PINKIE!” Rarity gasped out.

Meanwhile, the Huntsman was sitting in the diner, sleeping off his latest meal, thinking back to when he’d first arrived. A summer wind, a soft breeze on his face, warm and comforting as he’d held her hoof, bowing his head deeply. She’d blushed at this display of chivalry, his considerate tone. He’d explained the rules, how his people operated.

She wasn’t too surprised. Evidently the great Ohr’ion of the Hunting Party had once visited the land. It was rumored he had been responsible for a great cataclysm in the north which had forced him to retreat and had turned the far northern region into a barren wasteland. Yet Celestia had been surprised at his tender attitude towards her. He’d been kindly and noble and considerate.

And she…she was a beautiful figure. Her mane smelled like cherries, her fur soft to the touch. One time he’d separated her from Luna and had deeply inhaled the scent of her neck, nuzzling her softly, looking right into her soft blue pupils. For a few brief moments in the forest as the sun filtered sunlight softly down through the trees, there’d been no fighting, no bitter struggle. Only…a gentle, tender touch. A moment of peace. He’d felt…love for her. His heart moved by beauty and symmetry. Hers moved by the tenderness his strong, toned body held.

A beauty he’d seen in Fluttershy as well. She’d been such a fragile, sweet-looking creature. And as she’d laid curled up in his belly, he’d been able to taste how compassionate she was. She had, after all, been stored within him. Bits and pieces of her soul had been laid bare as his form enveloped her. He found himself worried about her. Would he have to end up eating her to survive? He hoped not. He knew he had to live. Had to have others give themselves to him or to take of them to live, but…he wished there could be another way.

But as he’d told Apple Bloom, it wasn’t like there was an entire planet full of crooks and rapists and murderers for him to gorge on. Or even an entire **city.**

 

* * *

 

Hearthstone wasn’t quite the hive of scum and villainy others might have thought it was…but it was in a state of clear disrepair. Buildings of deep grey and black stone that softly glittered in the sunlight, towering structures forged in burning fire with many a perch for the elder dragons to roost upon rose up into the sky, with glistening, almost crystalline pillars in half-circle designs that made up various meeting places. Dragons were speaking to each other by burning bonfires, roasting fresh meat and drinking what was clearly alcohol, getting positively hammered whilst several dragons stood over the bonfire, taller and stronger than the others, all telling stories.

The roads were dirty and ugly, made of cracking bricks and a few roofs had collapsed inward, overgrown by plant life. On enormous walls to the west of the city of Hearthstone was carefully inscribed burning-hot letters and pictures made of what appeared to be living flame, an enormous metallic “heart” in the center of the city, comprised of what appeared to be, upon closer gaze, the tiny little vents with one large vent at the top. Upon seeing Spike and Rarity walking up the stairway that led to the front walkway into the city, one dragon immediately raced for the heart and blew inside, tufts of flames bellowing out along with deep, booming, echoing roars that shot through the city from the Hearthstone’s “horn”.

The dragons all turned their heads, ceasing their activity as they took notice of Rarity, who was clutching a small bracelet around one leg with slight nervousness. A teleporting bracelet for a one-way, emergency trip back to Ponyville that Twilight had personally enchanted if things went very, very bad. Spike puffed up his chest, looking proud as Rarity cleared her throat. “I seek your city’s right of parlay with the Elder Council.” She proclaimed. “Spike explained to me this custom you have. Something you must honor if any visitor invokes it.”

The dragons glanced about at each other, a few younger-looking dragons muttering in annoyance, one familiar red dragon growling a bit. “We’re really going to let this pony do it?” He asked, waving a dismissive clawed hand at Rarity. “I mean, c’mon! The rule wasn’t meant for a stupid pony. A dumb girl.”probably tangy.” He added, looking Rarity over and licking his lips.

Spike growled a bit. Crackle. He wished he could forget him. Crackle had wanted him to smash innocent phoenix eggs. He had a horrid, sick attitude towards the young. “Let’s take position and see how many fireballs she can dodge before she goes up like a-”

“Crackle, still thy tongue!” A thunderous voice proclaimed as Spike blinked in surprise, a majestic specimen of royal, purple draconic might making his way through the crowd of dragons that were observing Spike and Rarity, standing aside to let him get to the front as he stood up on two legs, folding his arms across his chest, golden horns curved back, a crest running down from the top of his head, his deep green eyes looking Spike over. Spike nervously smiled.

“High Elder Spyro!” He murmured. “I know you must be wondering why I’m, uh…here?”

“Would this have to do with the starry-bodied hunter that so closely resemble the figure from our most horrific story? The Horned Hunter that cooked and devoured three of the most terrifying dragons of their time whole?” Spyro inquired as he tilted his head slightly to the side.

“Poor ol’ Grandpa never had a chance.” Crackle muttered. “Poor ol Snap Crackle got popped.”

“Uh-well, er, I’m sure the Huntsman didn’t make them suffer.” Rarity nervously murmured as Spike looked over at the wall story that many other dragons were staring at, cringing at the…level of detail put into describing what had happened to Snap the Scourge, Devourer of a Thousand Children according to the rural the dragons had crafted.

“Looks like he kinda did, Rarity.” Spike said with a quiet mumble as Rarity almost vomited at the sight. She didn’t think dragons had THAT much scaly skin to peel off, but apparently she’d been living a lie! Then again, “Devourer of a Thousand Children”? Spike began to wonder if cruelty to kids was just a part of the Crackle family. Like the red scales.

“Here’s come to Ponyville and we’re meeting him not far from here. At an old, sleeping volcano.” Spike said, giving High Elder Spyro a concerned look, getting to his knees and bowing his head. “We implore you. Help us defeat him. Do this to avenge your race’s previous injustice it endured, do it to help keep Equestria safe from a great danger that will simply feed and feed upon any it sees. Do this for what the Huntsman has offered.”

“Just what does he offer?” Spyro asked. “I’m very loathe to make a deal with one that treated any of my kind the way he did.” He remarked as he paced back and forth before Spike and Rarity, glowering slightly down upon them. “Be truthful.”

“He’s promised anything to those that injure him. Any precious items he, a living galaxy has to offer, or incredible magic, or the destruction of any enemies you have.” Rarity spoke up. “I’m sure you’ve got plenty to ask of a living galaxy.”

“Oh, quite!” Spyro admitted as he rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression coming to his scaly features as he chuckled a bit. “Especially if he’s got any lovely gems inside of him…we’re always on the lookout for more delicious gemstones. Very well, my little pony. You have our attention. What is your plan of attack for contending with this hunter?”

Well, truth be told, it was actually supposed to be a simple, simple, plan. Distract him, get him to move towards the volcano’s closed-up top. Make sure he was in the center…and then blow the top open, sending him plummeting like a comet inside to the burning lava core deep in the volcano below. No doubt he’d survive, most likely, but…ohhh, he’d be hurt. Hurt enough to submit.

A simple enough plan. If they could just keep him distracted, keep him steady.

But then Crackle had wandered off and taken the rest of the distraction party with him. Now Spike and Rarity were slinking alongside natural rock outcroppings on the hill of the volcano, looking left and right as they made their way towards the forest to the east of the volcano’s peak. High Elder Spyro and the rest of the Elder Council were hiding behind a large nearby mountaintop, ready to swoop in and dive-bomb the opening of the volcano for their trap as soon as it was sprung, but they needed the signal. A burning flare fired in the air. Simple, but…the scouting party wasn’t there to give it.

Where were they, Rarity wondered to herself, she and Spike pushing some shrubbery aside as they finally reached the forest path, Spike glancing about as his eyes narrowed. “Can you smell him?”

“Trying, Rarity. Honest, I am.” He admitted. “But, um, look, if…this doesn’t end well, I just want you to know, I-” He began to say.

“I know, Spike.” Rarity said gently. “I know what you want to say. I’ve begun to feel the same for you.” She admitted, Spike blushing before he suddenly halted in place, pointing with a claw. Rarity and he hid behind a large tree, cringing a bit as Rarity beheld the Huntsman as he stood by a large bush. He was sniffing at the air, then tilting his head, hearing something off in the distance. He seemed confused. Concerned. Even-

Now a dark anger had fallen over his face. A furious, baleful look, and now Rarity could faintly hear what sounded like SCREAMING coming from the far end of-

The screams stopped, Crackle and his friends making their way alongside the forest path, Crackle’s stomach visibly larger and bulgier and squirming. His friends were worse off, covered in blood that was CLEARLY not their own, and at the sight of this horror The Huntsman’s eyes narrowed darkly as he focused in on Crackle’s stomach, folding his arms across his chest. His pale blue eyes glistened with murderous intent as he spoke softly and quietly.

“It was cruel enough doing what you did to the little ones. Eating alive their parents and forcing them watch before you swallowed them whole is simply unconscionable.”

“You could hear all that?” Crackle inquired, looking clearly amused, the sunlight filtering down through the trees, casting an even darker shadow on the Huntsman’s already darkening face.

“I could hear. And I can hear the children even now in your gut, screaming in terror.” The Huntsman hissed. “I make the same offer Father made your grandfather when he encountered him. Cough them up and you live.” He demanded.

“Yeah, ah, I was actually thinking of washing it down with some Huntsman blood. I just wanna splurge a bit, as is my right. Other filthy creatures have no other purpose but to be of use to our kind. It’s how it ought to be.” Crackle said. “Especially those dumb ponies. I mean, really, they’re just stupid hors-”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence. The Huntsman punched him across the face, Crackle gasping as he felt his teeth shatter like a plate of fine china that had been thrown across a room. He clutched at his mouth, a startled, stunned series of gasps choking out from his mouth as he friends gasped, taking nervous steps back as Crackle felt pure fury well up in him. With a baleful, hateful roar he launched himself at the Huntsman, claws shooting forward, the Huntsman smoothly sliding aside.

“Oh my, you almost gave me a paper cut, fellow predator. Allow me to return. The. Favor.”

With that, Crackle felt the Huntsman’s sharp claws press into his right chest, against a breast muscle. With a single, fluid motion he ripped it off, Crackle reeling back as the blood splattered onto the ground, Crackle screeching in agony, burning fire ripping through his body the Cosmo Sapien chewed and swallowed the sweet fatty morsel happily. Sometimes you simply had to say “Oh, to hell with the diet of “no dragons”. Even if they were waaaaaaay too high in bad cholesterol.

And then the stomach. He then raised one hand high, and the Huntsman brought it down in a swift, hard arc. He tore into the dragon’s stomach on the left side, and exited on the right, taking a handful of terrified-looking young phoenixes with him who were covered in guts and blood, panting and heaving in fear as tubes of broken intestines flopped out, broken ribs along with them as Crackle instinctively grabbed at the now darkened, blackened flesh, fighting desperately to stay away. The monstrous alien hunter had just disembowelled him and Rarity was fighting not to vomit.

Then the Huntsman spoke. His ethereal voice was without mercy. Without any trace of that softness that had been there before as he put the frightened phoenix chicks down onto the ground.

“You **disgust** me. Using children in such self-indulgence as this is deplorable. _Sickening_. But you sought to brag about your superiority. Someone like you doesn’t  deserve to be part of the food chain. I pity the maggots that will feast upon your flesh as you slowly rot into the dirt. For they deserve far better fare than you.” He hissed out.

Crackle slumped to the ground, his friends whimpering in fear as the Huntsman turned to the baby chicks.

“I suggest you run.” He told them before turning to Crackle’s friends. “Though for YOU…there will be no escape.”

Rarity couldn’t bear to watch. Spike and her held each other close, burying their faces in their chests as they struggled not to hear the screams, the terrified howls of fear that were brutally, violently cut off, the Huntsman quickly and swiftly keeping each of Crackle’s friends from escaping. The two were frozen in shock and horror, wanting to move, wanting to do something, anything! But…they were so disgusted, so horrified by the sight before them they couldn’t move. It seemed…unworldly. Impossible. This wasn’t some story told down over the years, this horror was unfolding before their eyes, and they could scarcely bear to watch…

**A FINAL FLING**

As they remained stunned at…what remained of the scouting party, the Huntsman tapped Rarity and Spike on the shoulder, the two turning to look up into his eyes as he quickly reached down, grabbing hold of the bracelet around Rarity’s leg as she watched it sink into the Huntsman’s palm before he held their respective shoulders.

They were trapped.

“You are mine now. I take it you planned a trap atop the volcano?”

“Y-yes.” Spike muttered.

“I would fall in when the Elder Dragons burst the top open? Plummeting into burning hot lava?”

“Yes.”

“Out of pity, I’m willing to let myself fall into their trap. But you must sacrifice yourself to me. Willingly. Right now.” He told them. “I’ll inform the Dragons they are to ask anything they would of me, but they’re not to bring any harm to the ponies of Equestria in their request. Do we have a deal?”

Rarity nervously looked into Spike’s eyes, and he into hers. For what seemed to be an eternity they were silent, unsure of what to say. Rarity finally spoke, giving a soft, sad, nod. “We won’t fight you.” She murmured.

“Just get it over with.” Spike said. “You promise you won’t let the dragons hurt Twilight and my friends?” He nervously wanted to know.

“I promise.” The Huntsman insisted tenderly, patting the two atop their heads. “Now, it would be cruel of me to let you two be alone. I’ll take both of you into me at once. Would you like that?” He inquired with a soft smile.

“Please, stop. Don’t mock us!” Rarity said harshly, shaking her head back and forth, glaring back at him with a harsh glower, the Huntsman actually looking hurt, the alien hunter mournfully staring back at her.

“I’m not trying to mock you. I don’t like seeing innocents suffer. I want you to be comfortable and happy in your final moments. You don’t deserve to die in pain like they did. You’ve done nothing wrong.” The Huntsman put a hand on his chest, his expression solemn and sincere. “I’m not a MONSTER.”

“But what you did…that WAS monstrous.” Spike said. “That was-it was like you wanted them to suffer even more, and-and what you need to do to survive? We heard from Apple Bloom. We know you gotta eat people. Know that you need to because you’re a living galaxy, and you don’t wanna let all those planets in you die off. But I wanna know something.” He demanded, poking the Huntsman with a claw. “If you WEREN’T one. Would you really still be doing this?!”

The Huntsman cringed, a…disgraced expression flickering across his face. “I don’t know. I really don’t.”  

He then gently knelt down, embracing the two’s cheeks with his hands. “Embrace each other.” He suggested. “If this is to be your last moments, let them be filled with nothing but love.” Spike laid atop Rarity, looking deep into her eyes as she nodded and within a moment their mouths were locked together in a fervent, seemingly endless kiss, and they embraced each other and pressed their bodies together with a firmness that matched the vigor of their love.

“You sure you want to do this?” he asked, his breathing hard, his draconic manhood throbbing as it began to emerge, a nervous expression flickering onto his face. “I’m probably not going to be very gentle, I I’ve never done this before.”

“Sweetie.  I can handle it. Some like it hot.” she purred in his ear, licking his cheek.

Spike growled loudly, leaning in more closely. “Please, tell me you truly want me.” he said in a harsh whisper, his body trembling with his ache. “Please. I **need** to hear it, Rarity.”

“I want you, Spike.” Rarity panted. “I need you. Please stop teasing me.”

That was all he needed to hear. He scooted up until he was tight against her and placed the head of his swollen cock up against her small hole. Once he found his mark, he put his hands on her hips and pressed forward slowly. His hard dick went in slowly as he could, inch by inch. When he felt their pubic bones meet, he moaned low in his throat, remaining still while Rarity adjusted to his size and he kept himself from coming right then and there.

“Ohhh, SPIKE!” she moaned. “You feel so good! Mmmm.””

She rolled her hips back and forth slowly, the veins on his penis rubbing against her G spot and the head pressing up tightly against her cervix. Spike was then overcome with an urge; one he couldn’t deny. She moaned loudly, her eyes closing as her draconic lover began pounding into her relentlessly, latching onto her hips. Rarity screamed in delight, demanding more, harder and faster and, of course, he was more than happy to comply.

Indeed, Spike thrust into her hard and she couldn’t help but moan as he began to take Rarity with renewed vigor, latching onto her lips, giving her a deep, loving kiss before parting anew.

“More, harder, faster!” she whispered out, feeling like she was burning up, moving her hips up and down in time to meet his thrusts. He complied, the head of his cock slamming past her cervix and deep into her womb. She in turn came hard, her juices raining down onto their chests and faces as he continued his assault on her body. Releasing her nipple, he started licking her juices off of her face, a loud growl rumbling through his chest. This was the most erotic experience of her life and she would certainly never forget it.

“OHHH! Oh, YEAH!” Spike grunted, feeling his balls grow tight with his impending release as he continued fucking her after she’d come, her juices running down over her chest and face. He licked her sweet nectar off her neck and face, a loud, almost vicious growl rumbling in his chest as he kept pumping. “Oh, Rarity…please, more…more…” He murmured,

Rarity squealed in delight, Spike pumping even harder, his balls constricting, she knew he was close. “Yessss! SPIKE! OH, YES!”

“RARITY!” Spike roared as his cock grew thicker and he came deep inside her womb, his whole body shuddering as he pumped his cum into her as she came again. It kept going and going as Rarity clung to him, breathing heavily, running her hooves through his hair. Panting from exertion, the two flopped down, arms draped across each other, Rarity nuzzling up to him as the Huntsman chuckled a bit.

“Ohhh. Dinner and a show.” He chuckled, carefully lifting them up, mouth opening wide like a python unhinging its jaw, using his hands to guide both pairs of feet…or in Rarity’s case HOOVES…into his mouth. The two didn’t mind. They continued their soft, calm embrace the alien slowly drew them inside himself. Their ankles disappeared, then their calves, and then their knees, enjoying the pleasant warmth that seemed to be spreading up their legs. Spike and Rarity’s only real thought was to hold their lover as close as the strength of their arms would allow, to keep his attention on each other’s eyes. The strange warmth spread up to their buttocks; now they were sitting on a warm tongue, with Spike and Rarity’s legs down inside the strange, warm smoothness.

And still the warmth spread; not only did Spike feel Rarity’s chest and abdomen against his own, but he also felt the warmth of the Huntsman’s maw spreading up his back. Soon only Rarity and Spike’s heads were outside the hunter's mouth, and they drew in for another, final kiss. Then the Huntsman’s throat muscles pulled the men the rest of the way inside, a remarkable gulp sending them down to his gut.

The Huntsman gave a sigh of contentment, the two lovers now formed a considerable bulge in his abdomen. Whatever they’d been before, now they were just an anonymous mound in the alien's belly; the two within obscured by the hunter’s muscle, skin, and fat. Their minds were slowly being absorbed along with the rest of their body in the soft liquid within the Huntsman’s stomach, every part of their form being softly, sweetly broken down in the loving heat of his belly’s pit. They could feel the embrace of millions welcoming their spirits into the collective, feel the Huntsman’s gratitude at their sacrifice as their bodies finally gave in and became the nutrients he desired.

Between this and the earlier little indulgence, the Huntsman felt wonderfully full with the two lovers he had eaten. There was nothing there to indicate they’d been there but belly fat and he thoughtfully rubbed his stomach with a clawed hand.

“You’ll be together forever.” He said, embracing their souls with his enormous hands, bringing them in to a sweet embrace with the rest of those that laid within him. “There’s no chance of separation within me. And you’ll never have to worry about divorce.” He added with a small chuckle. “Now, then.”

It was time to meet with the dragon elders. He had a promise to keep. He hoped High Elder Spyro wouldn’t try to make him break his vow.

Because if they did, well…the two would have more than just words.  

**DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH**

The two were frozen in shock and horror, wanting to move, wanting to do something but…

No. No “buts”. They had to act now.

“Hey!” Spike roared out, Rarity and he stepping out from behind the tree as the Huntsman turned around to look at them. “Betcha can’t eat just one dragon!” He yelled out, holding up his chest as best he could and cheekily smirking. “You know it’s important to go green!”

“Ah, you have a wit.” The Huntsman mused, cracking his knuckles. “But I believe in speaking softly…and carrying a big stick. Let’s see how well you do against that.” He proclaimed, holding a clawed hand to his chest, his spear-staff emerging as Rarity and Spike bolted through the forest trail, the Huntsman racing after them, twirling his staff as he began to slowly catch up to them.

Nothing quite like the feeling of the wind on your face, the Huntsman thought as they raced up the long, barren hill, Rarity and Spike shooting across the top as Spike turned around, his chest bulging as…

He belched an enormous green fireball of blazing flame at the Huntsman, who managed to dive out of the way, flopping onto his belly as Spike launched another high into the sky, he and Rarity diving across the top of the hill and beginning to roll down the other side, loud “Ouch ouch ouch ouches” filling the air as the Huntsman blinked in surprise…before sniffing the ground and tasting it with his tongue.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute! Igneous rock. The kind of rock that was best found at-

It was then that a burning, searing-hot heat combined with a flash of bright purplish light SINGED the earth about him and the ground he was upon cracked and shattered into chunks, the cool air turning into sizzling heat as the Huntsman found himself falling, plummeting like a stone down into the dark abyss, an abyss alit only by one thing…the unmistakable pool of lava far, far below.

With he fell into with a cut-off swear and a loud, liquidy PLOP, magma spewing out in a large spray as Rarity and Spike finally flopped to the ground at the bottom of the volcano, covered in bruises and cuts from rolling down the other side, heaving and groaning as they rose up, Rarity wincing.

“That was a close one. Think I broke a hoof…no, no, I’m alright.” She remarked, sighing as she dusted herself off. “But I must take a bath when this is over.” She admitted before a very, VERY loud scream filled the air, the Huntsman barreling out of the top of the volcano, covered in smoke and sizzling, howling like a madman as he flopped to the chunks of volcano top that weren’t falling down into the magma below. He began racing around in circles, howling and screeching and hissing, rubbing his sore body over and over as the smoke swelled off of him, Spike smirking a bit.

“I guess you could say we really…burned him?” He asked of Rarity.

“I suppose he wasn’t quite…hot…on what we had planned for him.” Rarity giggled out. “But I’m sure he’ll calm down a bit later when he’s not-hee-hee- when he’s not ALL STEAMED UP!”

 

* * *

 

Once he’d finally finished putting out the fires on his ass, the Huntsman had been quite happy to agree to Rarity and Spike’s conditions…and indeed. He had quite a few precious items to bestow upon dragonkind, and upon Ponyville.

“You get an emerald and you get a sapphire, I am truly the talk show host of precious gems.” The Huntsman remarked as he nonchalantly kept reaching into his chest over and over, pulling out crystal after crystal, gem after gem, giving the enormous preciouses to each dragon in Hearthstone, Rarity and Spike sitting on a bench together, resting their heads upon each other.

“Imagine, Ponyville will never have to worry about money problems ever again! And I’ll get to enjoy a gem anytime I want.” He admitted.

“And I am going to love being able to do entire dresses in diamond. For once I won’t have to have them shipped in from Manehattan.” Rarity added with a smile. “But you know, I…there’s something I wish to tell you, Spike. Something I was thinking about asking you.” She hesitated before raising her head away from Spike. “Be right back.” Rarity asked of him, heading over to the Huntsman as he turned to look at her.

“May I help you, Rarity? Perhaps a lovely pearl necklace?”

“I’d prefer a special kind of diamond, if you get my drift?” She asked softly, the Huntsman looking over at Spike, then at her as she gave him a suggestive wink, the alien hunter nodding as he reached into his chest, a small, precious little box of black popping out as he handed it to her, Rarity pocketing it into the belt pouch she had before sauntering back over to Spike, taking in a breath. “Spike? Here’s one gem I hope you don’t ever eat.” She said, taking out the box…and opening up the top.

“Is…that what I think it is?” He asked, his green eyes slowly widening, his hands flying to his mouth as he gasped in awe.

“Mmm-hmm.” Rarity murmured, nodding as a small smile came to her soft features.

“It’s beautiful.” Spike whispered. “Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“Yes! Oh, definitely, the answer is yes!”

The Huntsman smiled as he saw them embrace, burping suddenly as Crackle’s skull promptly flew out, falling to the ground with a thunk as several dragons immediately backed away, the line deciding “Y’know, getting some gems can wait” as they all made for other parts of town, the alien hunter picking his teeth and chuckling at the sight of Spike and Rarity. “Quite a day.” He mused aloud as the two deeply embraced, exchanging a passionate kiss.

“Dinner AND a show.”

 


End file.
